Xiao Chen stretched out his hand, and a suction came from it, pulling the spatial ring into his hand. Then, with a flash, he quickly left this place.
This father-and-son pair was not good, reasonable people. Even though that was what they said, they would definitely not keep their word.
Xiao Chen wanted to kill the two. However, he did not want to spill blood on this Sword Forging Peak. After all, whether Ao Jiao could come back or not depended on Situ Leihong.
Furthermore, there was a Rank 9 sect, the Purple Night Sword Sect, behind them. Although the Purple Night Sword Sect was not as strong as the Supreme Sky Sect, which was a peak Rank 9 sect, or had as much resources, this was the Profound Domain. It would be problematic to offend the Purple Night Sword Sect in their territory.
Xiao Chen stood on the lightning dragon and in a few flashes vanished from the view of the many swordsmen on Sword Forging Peak.
“If you knew this would happen, then why did you do it?”
Seeing the Ouyang father-and-son pair lying on the ground in sorry states, the other swordsmen sighed. As swordsmen, they had watched Xiao Chen, a bladesman, defeat Ouyang Long.
These people all felt some ill-feeling in their hearts to varying extents.
If it had been an ordinary battle, these swordsmen might have gone to help, even to the extent of blocking that bladesman.
However, when these swordsmen saw Xiao Chen’s strength, they sighed at his rapid growth. These people felt fear in their hearts and could only watch Xiao Chen leave.
Furthermore, the sorry states of the Ouyang father-and-son pair were their own doing. There was a saying “The evil that one brought to one’s self was the hardest to bear.” They would not be able to get much sympathy.
After flying two hundred and fifty kilometers in one breath, Xiao Chen casually stopped on top of a tree. Then, he closed his eyes to analyze the earlier battle.
Those three moves earlier could be considered Martial Techniques that surpassed Heaven Ranked. With the support of the Great Perfection saber soul, their might had more than doubled.
Even though these were Xiao Chen’s three greatest killing moves, in this battle, the most important thing was the Great Perfection saber soul.
If not for the Great Perfection saber soul, Flawless Bright Moon would not have been able to burst forth with such strong might, suppressing Ouyang Long’s aura in one go.
If Ouyang Long comprehended a Great Perfection sword soul like that, then this battle would have dragged out.
Despite being able to defeat his opponent in three moves, Xiao Chen still maintained his rationality. Now, he gained a clearer understanding of his own strength.
After a while, he opened his eyes, revealing an expression of awareness. Then, he pushed off with his feet and left with satisfaction.
------
Two days later, Xiao Chen received a message from Ying Qiong to meet at the largest restaurant of Heavenly Cauldron City.
Jin Dabao and Lord Jiu were there as well. The two of them had happy expressions, clearly very satisfied with how the black market deals had gone.
Not long after Ying Qiong took a seat, she got straight to the point. “The auction for the Longevity Fruits is over already. After deducting the middleman fees of my Flourishing Heaven Pavilion, you have thirty million Black Astral Coins.”
The fatty said enviously, “It is really frustrating to compare oneself to others. After speaking so much and spending so much effort, this Fat Lord only managed to sell those goods for five million Black Astral Coins, while you did nothing but still gained thirty million Black Astral Coins.”
Thirty million Black Astral Coins. This sum somewhat startled Xiao Chen as well. With such a large sum, he was as rich as some quasi-Emperors.
However, he was not too surprised. He had heard those swordsmen at Sword Forging Peak say that a few old quasi-Emperors whose lifespans were about to end came to the auction for the Longevity Fruits.
Naturally, a quasi-Emperor was very rich. However, after one died, they would lose everything. For the sake of a longer lifespan, they would be willing to spend all their money.
Xiao Chen drank a cup of wine and said, “I will give you another Longevity Fruit. I don’t have too big a request. Just help me spend all thirty million Black Astral Coins in three days.”
Jin Dabao and Lord Jiu both gaped at him. “What do you want to do? You have to finish spending the thirty million Black Astral Coins in three days?”
Ying Qiong could not understand, either. Confusion filled her pretty face.
“Help me collect Secret Treasures containing dragon souls. They need to be at least Sage Grade. If there are King Grade ones, don’t let them go at any cost.”
Ying Qiong frowned like he had put her in a spot. “Secret Treasures containing dragon souls are not easy to find. It is not going to be easy to spend this thirty million Black Astral Coins.”
Xiao Chen nodded and said, “I know. Damaged Secret Treasures will do as well.”
Ying Qiong’s face lit up as she said, “Damaged ones are fine as well? That would be easy, then. The various branches of the Flourishing Heaven Pavilion scattered throughout the entire Kunlun Realm would have piles of damaged Secret Treasures every year.”
After chatting for a while, the topic shifted to Xiao Chen and Wen Ziran’s duel.
In just two days, the news of Xiao Chen dueling Wen Ziran spread throughout the entire Profound Domain.
If asked whose fame matched that of Xiao Chen in the Profound Domain, it would naturally be Wen Ziran’s.
The Saber School Ranking refreshed every decade since ancient times, passed down for tens of thousands of years.
However, no one in the younger generation had made it into the top ten in the recent millennium. Despite a large number of great grandmaster-level Martial Sages competing, Wen Ziran had forced his way into the top ten and obtained the sixth rank this time.
When word of this duel spread, it caused a great sensation.
“Speaking of which, why did you suddenly think of challenging Wen Ziran? Given your character, you are not that arrogant,” Ying Qiong asked with a smile. Clearly, she already guessed the answer.
Jin Dabao looked around, then smiled mischievously, saying, “Brother Xiao, how confident are you of victory? This Fat Lord can open a betting pool. If I don’t take advantage of this to earn some, it would be too much of a pity.”
Xiao Chen entered deep thought. Then, he replied, “I do not have much information on Wen Ziran. So I can’t say for sure my odds of winning. However, I must win this duel.”
Suddenly, footsteps came from downstairs. The Young City Lord of Heavenly Cauldron City appeared on the floor together with a guard escort.
When he saw Xiao Chen, Bai Lang tossed a heavy wooden box over. Xiao Chen extended his hand and caught it before opening it. Suddenly, a surging heatwave blasted out, scorching those around.
If Xiao Chen had been weaker, opening the box would have injured him.
Xiao Chen had always been a calm person. However, when he saw the item in the box, he could not help becoming very excited. He quickly closed the box, and the expression on his face was dazed.
“Brother Xiao, there is no need to overthink this. My senior brother told me to bring this over. Five days later, he will fight a fair battle with you in Heavenly Saber City. All he wants is a simple duel and hopes that you will not be distracted by other things.”
The thing in the box was none other than the item that Xiao Chen wanted to obtain, the ten-thousand-year-old Flame Crystal. Wen Ziran’s generosity far exceeded Xiao Chen’s expectations.
Xiao Chen’s impression of this bladesman, whom he had never met, improved significantly. Now that he had obtained the ten-thousand-year-old Flame Crystal, he no longer had any worries.
---
Late at night, in Xiao Chen’s room at an inn, he entered deep thought as he looked at the wooden box containing the ten-thousand-year-old Flame Crystal.
There were still five days to the duel with Wen Ziran. Now that he already obtained the ten-thousand-year-old Flame Crystal, this duel could be purely a duel between bladesmen. He did not have to think about the consequences of losing; he would not have any burdens. He could fight happily to his heart’s content.
Xiao Chen wondered what kind of person Wen Ziran was. However, at the very least, this generosity made him a lot more interested in this duel.
He put away the wooden box and silently flew out of the window, arriving in a remote location outside the city.
Xiao Chen wanted to test his moves. Naturally, he had to find a place that was large, quiet, and deserted. He definitely could not do it in the inn, so he could only go out of the city. Three days later, he would go and meet with Ying Qiong.
The night was cold and desolate. A frosty wind occasionally blew in the forest, shaking the tree leaves and making them rustle.
There were still three more moves to the Myriad Heaven Divine Fist—Eternal Myth, Dusk of Deities, and Burial of Deities. Xiao Chen had never executed these three moves before.
Even among the Deity Race, few could successfully practice these three moves. Without a certain age, cultivation realm, or comprehension ability, one would fail.
These final three moves of the Myriad Heaven Divine Fist were also known as forbidden moves in the Deity Race. Their might was extremely horrifying. They were not much weaker than the Divine Sovereign secret techniques left behind by the various generations of Divine Sovereigns.
Xiao Chen closed his eyes, and the Magic Energy saturating his sea of consciousness started to surge.
As he circulated his energies for the Myriad Heaven Divine Fist, his body gave off motes of golden light, illuminating the forest.
The golden light gathered behind Xiao Chen and formed a divine image that was his spitting image. However, it looked stern, dignified, and mighty.
“Eternal Myth!”
This was Xiao Chen’s own myth. The Myriad Heaven Divine Fist sang of the ancient Divine Sovereigns of the Deity Race. He was not of the Deity Race and did not worship the Divine Sovereigns.
Without this faith, logically speaking, it would be impossible for Xiao Chen to practice this Myriad Heaven Divine Fist. However, he took it in another direction, creating his own legend and myth, having faith in himself.
Not faith in Deities but only myself. Who is the myth? I am it.
Xiao Chen constantly repeated this sort of thought like he was applying self-hypnosis. The Magic Energy in his sea of consciousness drained like water through a hole in a pool.
As the Magic Energy drained, the divine image behind Xiao Chen radiated increasingly denser light. Its figure became more realistic, and it started to contain a faint Divine Might.
“Bang!”
The divine image behind Xiao Chen erupted and enlarged tremendously. It was now a hundred meters tall like a small hill. A tiny strand of Divine Might finally formed.
Thousands of trees in the forest no longer existed. As the Divine Might swept out, they all turned into nothing in less than a breath of time.
Xiao Chen’s expression was solemn and respectful, sharp like it was carved, looking dignified and sagely. Paeans of praise shook the air.
The divine image behind Xiao Chen stretched out its hand, and a gigantic hand took form. A palm strike moved twenty-five kilometers, and a bright golden light illuminated the entire night sky.
When this palm strike smashed down on the distant sky, it was like the sky dropped by half a meter. The flat ground sank deeply.
Xiao Chen circulated his energy and retracted the move. The divine image slowly faded away, and he closed his eyes to think.
He had relied on his Magic Energy to condense the Divine Might and light. However, it was still not enough.
If he could have a Deity Statue like those of the Deity Race in the Deity Domain or the lower realms, forging a statue and placing it in a temple to be worshiped by the mortals, it would provide him with the power of faith.
This move, Eternal Myth, could still be mightier.
Following that, Xiao Chen started to materialize Dusk of Deities.
The might of this move was even greater. The state that it contained was even vaster and more majestic. Deity Race cultivators without strong Mental Energy would not be able to cultivate it.
Normally, only when one advanced to quasi-Emperor would one meet the prerequisites for practicing these two moves. Of course, this was just the qualification. Whether one succeeded in practicing it or not still required extremely high comprehension ability and a strong physical body.
There was a monumental difference between Eternal Myth and Dusk of Deities. Dusk of Deities did not need to gather Divine Might.
The state that he needed to materialize was the destruction of the ancient Deity Nation, the arrival of Armageddon, the end of the myths, the fall of the Deities, and the extreme grief of that instant when everything flourishing collapsed.