"Not bad."
Kong Shen's pupils narrowed slightly, but his tone soon turned cold. "However, Yang Cheng, I'll make you understand just how naïve it is to think you can kill me."
As he spoke, the fog around the forest began to expand rapidly.
"Boom!"
The blood-colored river in the sky crashed downward, blasting the hundred-zhang (over 300 feet) forest below into dust and splinters, smoke billowing everywhere.
But just as the dust rose, another fog appeared a hundred zhang away, and Kong Shen's voice came from within it. "It's useless. No matter how strong you are, Yang Cheng, you can't harm me."
Yang Cheng's expression didn't change. His figure blurred, and using the Divine Ability · Shrinking the Earth to an Inch, he instantly appeared before the fog again. Another wave of blood-colored sword qi slashed down.
"Boom!"
Another part of the forest was obliterated into ruins.
Kong Shen fled again, reappearing somewhere else, ready to mock him—but before he could open his mouth, Yang Cheng's figure was already in front of him once more, another devastating strike cutting through space.
Explosions echoed one after another. The forest was torn apart, mountains cracked, and the land turned into rubble—it was as if the end of days had descended.
In the distance, Yu Xuan trembled at the sight. "How… how can his true qi be this vast? With this level of high-intensity attacks, isn't he afraid his qi will run dry?"
Kong Shen was equally shaken, cursing inwardly. 'What kind of monster is this bastard? Why doesn't his qi deplete at all? At this rate, he'll destroy the entire forest!'
He didn't know that Yang Cheng possessed a ten-star golden Bitter Sea, providing him with an endless supply of true qi. Even if he fought for three days and three nights, he wouldn't run out.
The chase continued for half an incense stick of time before Kong Shen finally snapped.
"This is what you forced me into!"
Driven to the edge, his mist-shrouded body trembled violently, the fog around him boiling with killing intent.
With a deep shout, the dense mist condensed into a long black whip—over a zhang (about 3.3 meters) in length—its surface coiled with gray tendrils of fog that radiated an icy, sinister chill.
It was his ultimate trump card—the Divine Mist Whip!
"Yang Cheng, taste the power of my Divine Whip!"
Kong Shen gripped the whip and lashed it out fiercely.
The whip cracked through the air with a shrill roar, tearing the void itself apart. From the rift burst a monstrous fog dragon, its gaping maw wide as it roared and lunged toward Yang Cheng.
"Good—come!"
A flash of light shot through Yang Cheng's eyes. His true qi surged without restraint, and the blood river formed by the Blood Sea Sword Talisman roared to life, waves surging skyward. The crimson tide crashed against the fog dragon like a sea of fury.
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion tore through the forest. The massive red waves collided with the fog dragon, both forces clashing and devouring each other. The energy shockwave that erupted leveled what was left of the forest, tearing the land apart by several zhang.
The fog dragon howled in agony, its body cracking apart at a speed visible to the naked eye—it was clearly being overpowered.
"How… how is this possible?"
Kong Shen's expression twisted in disbelief. His Divine Mist Whip could contend with a Yin God powerhouse, yet it was being suppressed by Yang Cheng's attack?
Before he could react, Yang Cheng's figure became a streak of crimson lightning, riding atop the blood river as he charged straight toward Kong Shen.
"Break for me!"
Yang Cheng's fingers formed a sword seal, the Ancestral Dragon Sword Body operating at full force. Behind him, the phantom of a nine-clawed golden dragon grew solid, its roar shaking the clouds.
The fusion of the Ancestral Dragon Sword River and the Blood Sea Sword Talisman unleashed an even more terrifying power.
Countless sharp streaks of blood-colored sword qi shot from the river like a torrential rainstorm, sealing off every path of retreat.
Kong Shen dared not hesitate. He swung the Divine Mist Whip frantically to block the onslaught.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The continuous impact of sword qi against the whip echoed through the air. Though Kong Shen managed to deflect most of the attacks, each collision sent numbing pain through his arm, his true qi surging chaotically inside him. He was clearly reaching his limit.
Panic filled his heart. Even using all his strength, he was still no match for Yang Cheng!
'If the green hills remain, there'll always be firewood to burn!'
Gritting his teeth, Kong Shen made his decision. His body suddenly exploded into dozens of foggy clones, scattering in all directions.
This was his ultimate life-saving technique—each fog clone contained a trace of his divine consciousness, making it nearly impossible to distinguish the real one from the fakes.
"You're running?"
Yang Cheng sneered. "Tricks like that won't work on me."
He opened his mouth and exhaled. A burst of black-and-white true fire shot forth, scattering into countless tiny fire streams that darted across the sky like living creatures, chasing every wisp of fog with perfect precision.
"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"
Everywhere the fire touched, the fog ignited instantly, releasing a pungent, scorched stench. The false fog clones burned away in an instant, leaving only ashes behind.
"Ah!"
A muffled cry came from one of the fog clusters. That wisp of fog convulsed violently, the flames devouring it until the mist dispersed, revealing Kong Shen's battered form.
His left arm was burned and blackened, his aura weak and faltering.
"Yang Cheng!"
Kong Shen's eyes were wide with both fear and fury. "What are you? What kind of monster are you?"
He couldn't comprehend it—a martial cultivator from the Mortal Realm could never have power like this!
Yang Cheng didn't bother replying. He stepped forward, using the Divine Ability · Shrinking the Earth to an Inch to appear before Kong Shen in an instant. His fingers came together like a sword, thrusting straight for Kong Shen's forehead.
"Wait—"
"Yang Cheng! Wait!" Kong Shen cried out in panic, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with raw terror. "I surrender! I'm willing to give you all my wealth in exchange for my life!"
"All your wealth?" Yang Cheng's hand paused midair.
"Yes, all of it!"
Kong Shen spoke quickly, desperately clinging to the last shred of hope. "Most of my fortune is hidden in a secret place within the Horn Constellation Realm. No one knows of it except me. If you kill me, that wealth will be lost forever! Spare me, and I'll have it all delivered to you immediately—just let me live!"
His voice quivered, filled with fear and greed, his eyes flickering with desperate desire for survival.
But Yang Cheng only gave him a calm, indifferent glance. His tone was icy. "Your wealth means nothing to me."
The profit of seizing Kong Shen's treasure was far less than the risk of leaving him alive.
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, his fingers pierced straight through Kong Shen's forehead without resistance.
"You…"
Kong Shen's eyes widened in disbelief. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say more, but no sound came. His body fell heavily to the ground, his life force fading away in seconds.
With Kong Shen dead, of the eight who had besieged Yang Cheng, only Yu Xuan and Wang Qing remained.
The two of them were terrified out of their wits. Their faces were as pale as paper, their limbs shaking uncontrollably.
Yu Xuan was the first to react. She glanced sideways at Wang Qing, then at Yang Cheng, who was slowly walking toward them, step by step. A flicker of determination flashed through her eyes.
She suddenly licked her lips, tore the fabric from her shoulder, revealing smooth white skin, and spoke in a sweet, trembling voice. "Lord Yang Cheng, I was wrong. From now on, I'll serve you faithfully. You can do whatever you want with me… just please, spare my life."
She believed that her beauty could move any man's heart—even his.
However, the only response she received was a flash of cold sword light.
"Shua!"
Yu Xuan's head flew into the air, her expression frozen in disbelief.
Now, only Wang Qing remained. His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees with a loud "thud." His forehead struck the ground repeatedly as he begged for mercy.
"Your Highness, spare me! Crown Prince Yang, please, don't kill me! I was only following orders. I never meant to oppose you! For the sake of the Qingming Sect—there's no deep grudge between us—please let me live!"
Yang Cheng looked at him calmly and said, "I can let you go."
Wang Qing froze, then his eyes lit up with wild relief. "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you for sparing me!"
He had thought he was already doomed, but hope had appeared before him.
"But you'll deliver a message for me."
Yang Cheng's voice was cold enough to freeze marrow. "Tell the Qingming Sect to think carefully about how to appease my anger. If they fail…" His eyes glinted with murderous intent. "…I'll personally destroy the Qingming Sect."
"Yes! Yes, I will! I'll make sure they know, I swear I'll deliver your words!"
Wang Qing scrambled to his feet and ran for his life, stumbling over the rocks as he fled, afraid that Yang Cheng might change his mind.
After the final enemy was gone, Yang Cheng raised his head and glanced briefly toward a distant mountain peak where the blindfolded man and the one-armed nun were hiding. Then he turned away, heading toward the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy.
On the mountaintop, the blindfolded man broke into a cold sweat as he felt Yang Cheng's gaze. He let out a bitter laugh. "So, he knew we were here all along."
The one-armed nun nodded slightly, her expression calm. "With power like his, if he couldn't detect us, that would be abnormal."
Meanwhile, deep within the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy, inside the alchemy chamber—
Two figures silently crept through the shadows. They were none other than the "backup plan" that Kong Shen had arranged before the battle.
A man and a woman, both Insight God cultivators.
They moved without resistance, clearly having received help from someone within the academy itself.
The two intruders soon arrived outside the alchemy room where Wang Rou and Xu Qingxue were refining pills.
The burly man's eyes gleamed with lust as he sneered. "Two fairies, please come with us. Our master wishes to invite you as guests."
His tone was mocking, full of arrogance and disrespect, as though he didn't regard the two women as people at all.
Wang Rou's face went pale with fear. She instinctively took a step back.
Xu Qingxue, however, remained calm. She glanced around the room, her voice steady and cold. "It seems the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy's internal corruption runs deeper than expected."
The burly man's smile vanished, replaced by a chilling expression. "So, the two of you don't plan to come quietly? Then don't blame us for being rude."
As soon as he spoke, he and the female Insight God cultivator prepared to strike.
At that exact moment, a streak of lightning flashed past. A figure appeared in front of Wang Rou and Xu Qingxue—it was Lin Shu.
"In this barren realm," she said coldly, "you two aren't qualified to act with impunity."
Her aura exploded, releasing the powerful might of a top-tier Martial Emperor. She clashed directly with the burly man, their fists colliding with deafening force.
The air trembled as waves of energy rippled through the room, shaking the pill furnaces violently.
The burly man was secretly shocked.
Lin Shu wasn't even an Insight God yet, but her strength rivaled his own!
Still, he sneered between attacks. "Impressive strength—but do you really think you alone can stop the two of us?"
Lin Shu's eyes narrowed, her expression steady. "Who said I'm alone?"
Before the words finished leaving her lips, another figure appeared silently behind the female Insight God cultivator.
The woman sensed danger and began to turn—but too late.
A cold, sharp sword pressed against her neck.
"You'd better not move."
A clear, icy voice echoed through the alchemy chamber.