Chapter 379 - 199: Central Earth, Xiao Chen

"Then let it be a journey of no return!"

Suddenly,

"SWISH!!"

Several streaks of light, like meteors from beyond the heavens, shot across the sky at extreme speed. They descended swiftly, appearing in the void above the plaza. The leader, clad in a Star Daoist Robe, had a naturally majestic expression and emanated an utterly terrifying aura that seemed to make the very world tremble in fear. All the Cultivators present shuddered involuntarily.

"Hualong Squad of the Eighteenth Division, Black Martial Legion of Xingjian City, respectfully welcomes the City Lord’s arrival!!" All several hundred Black Armored Warriors on the field dropped to one knee, cupped their fists, and bowed their heads, shouting with reverence. The sound was immense, echoing through the clouds and shaking the firmament. One could tell just from the sound that this was an army of kings.

"Th-this is... the City Lord of Xingjian City, Star Sword Daoist Monarch!" someone exclaimed, their pupils widening and a look of shock on their face.

"It’s actually Star Sword Daoist Monarch! Seeing him is believing. He really lives up to his reputation—in fact, he’s far stronger than the rumors say! Just a sliver of his aura is making it hard for me to breathe," a man in a gray robe said, his body trembling.

"Why has the Star Sword Daoist Monarch descended upon this place?" someone wondered aloud.

"All of you, rise." Wei Chen looked at the kneeling Black Armored Warriors and spoke, his grand voice imbued with Dao Rhythm.

"Yes, City Lord," the hundreds of Black Armored Warriors replied in unison. They rose to their feet, standing tall with chests puffed out, exuding a grim, murderous aura that sent a shiver down the spine.

"Brother Ye, Brother Gu, Xingjian City’s Teleportation Array is right here. You two only need to step on," Wei Chen said with a faint smile.

"In that case, we’ll be troubling you, Brother Wei," Ye Xuantian said softly with a slight nod. "If you ever have the time, Brother Wei, you are welcome to visit the Profound Celestial Sect in the Eastern Profound Domain."

Wei Chen nodded. "I will certainly pay a visit when I have the time."

Following that, Ye Xuantian and Gu Yun’s figures flickered, and they instantly appeared inside the Teleportation Array. Wei Chen raised his hand slightly, signaling for the Black Armored Warriors to activate it.

RUMBLE!

The four Space Silver Towers trembled and began to emit a dazzling light. Gnarled and profound Inscriptions materialized along the chains, radiating an ancient aura. A powerful surge of Space Power erupted, and in a flash of light, Gu Yun and Ye Xuantian vanished.

...

「At the same time.」

「Central Earth.」

A vast, crisscrossing mountain range.

It stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles, endless to the horizon, like magnificent, rolling waves of earth. Towering ancient trees stood below, their massive canopies obscuring the sky, with countless branches cascading down like a thousand waterfalls.

The mountains and plains were a tapestry of color, the forests dyed in rich hues.

"SWISH!"

At that moment, under the drifting white clouds in the vast, pale blue sky, a figure in black streaked across the firmament. He tore through the air with a whistle, the sound of Powerful Qi echoing behind him. The aura he emanated was terrifying beyond compare, and one could faintly perceive the Dao Rhythm circulating around his body.

’Master, I have now overcome the Celestial Tribulation, stepped into the Realm of Tongxuan, and become a True Monarch. In this Celestial Essence Realm, I finally have the power to protect myself.’

Xiao Chen thought to himself.

[You do indeed have some power to protect yourself. However, this realm has been turbulent recently. I’m afraid your Tongxuan Power alone won’t be enough to ensure your safety,] an ancient voice echoed in Xiao Chen’s mind.

"You are right, Master. Without your guidance, this disciple would never have achieved what I have today," Xiao Chen said respectfully.

’That guy is probably still stuck in the True Martial Realm.’

’But I listened to my Master, came to Central Earth to make my own way, and found a few opportunities. Now, I’ve already stepped into the Realm of Tongxuan.’

’Everything is different now!’

Xiao Chen mused to himself.

"Master, you said that once I broke through to the Realm of Tongxuan, you would tell me about the starry sky beyond this world. Just how vast is the universe out there?" Xiao Chen asked, a hint of longing in his eyes.

[Since you have reached the Realm of Tongxuan, it is time I told you just how boundless the cosmos is, lest you remain like a frog in a well, ignorant of the true height of the heavens,] the deep, ancient voice resounded in Xiao Chen’s mind.

[This world is the Celestial Essence Realm. It belongs to the Cangwu Immortal Continent.]

"Cangwu Immortal Continent?" Xiao Chen asked doubtfully.

[Yes. The Cangwu Immortal Continent is immensely vast, home to tens of thousands of worlds. The Celestial Essence Realm is merely one of the more mediocre Star Realms.]

[In the last ten thousand years, it has not produced a single Tribulation Cosmos Realm Venerable,] the ancient voice echoed in Xiao Chen’s mind. Then, as if recalling something, it continued,

[However, in this generation, your Sect does have a little hope.]

"Master, are you saying that the vast Celestial Essence Realm is just one of tens of thousands of Star Realms within the Cangwu Immortal Continent?" Xiao Chen’s eyes were filled with shock.

[The Cangwu Immortal Continent, as large as it is, is but one of many Immortal Continents within the Canglan Great Realm.]

[Disciple, broaden your horizons. Don’t be confined to a single corner of the universe,] the ancient voice said softly.

"The Canglan Great Realm, its many Immortal Continents, its countless worlds."

Xiao Chen’s eyes betrayed an unprecedented shock as he muttered under his breath,

"In that case, the Celestial Essence Realm is like a speck of dust in the vast cosmos..."

Immediately after, Xiao Chen asked, "Then Master, what is this Tribulation Cosmos Venerable you just mentioned?"

[Above the Harmonization realm is the Tribulation Cosmos Realm. Those at that level have a lifespan of ten thousand years and can roam the starry sky. Within the Cangwu Immortal Continent, they could barely be considered experts,] the deep, ancient voice reverberated in Xiao Chen’s mind.

"What?!"

"A being with a ten-thousand-year lifespan who roams the stars is only *barely* considered an expert?

Then Master, just how powerful are the true experts?" Xiao Chen asked, his eyes betraying his uncontainable shock.

[Those kinds of experts... are too far beyond you. Don’t aim too high. Just keep your feet on the ground,] the ancient voice seemed to be reminiscing about something before it spoke in a placid tone.

"Yes, Master!" Xiao Chen’s voice was filled with respect. He looked up toward the highest heavens, his eyes burning with an unprecedented, fervent light. It was as if his gaze could pierce through infinite space and reach beyond the boundless cosmos. ’I, Xiao Chen, will break free from the Celestial Essence Realm! I will set foot on an Immortal Continent and become a powerhouse who can suppress the entire universe!’

Deep within Xiao Chen’s sea of consciousness, a phantasmal figure sat cross-legged, shrouded in misty starlight and exuding an ancient aura. Sensing the change in Xiao Chen, it stroked its beard and sighed in admiration. ’This boy is teachable.’

’It’s necessary to broaden his horizons from time to time to stimulate his fighting spirit. Otherwise, he’ll be like a frog at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the world’s true immensity.’

’Only when he finally leaps out of that dry well will he understand what it means for a mayfly to see the vast blue sky!’

Just as Xiao Chen was whistling through the air, having crossed tens of thousands of miles of sky,

"SWISH!"

"SWISH!"

Dozens of figures ahead were riding streaks of light, tearing through the sky in hot pursuit of a graceful silhouette. The commotion was immense, their Powerful Qi blasting through the firmament.

"Hmm?" Xiao Chen’s resolute brows furrowed. His deep, black eyes pierced the distance, and he saw a female Cultivator in a blood-stained white dress speeding toward him on a streak of light. With her full chest, a cascading waterfall of ink-black hair, a stunningly beautiful face, and an exceptional aura, she was a sight to behold.

As she sped onward, Lin Yue spotted a young man ahead of her. He wore a black Profound Robe, had a resolute face, deep-set brows, a sturdy physique, and emanated a powerful aura. A flash of joy lit up her beautiful eyes, and she immediately veered towards Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen hovered in the void, his robes fluttering in the wind. His expression was unchanged, completely calm, and his dark eyes were as still as water.

"Young Miss, just stop running!"

"You’re making things difficult for the Patriarch, and for us as well."

"Besides, the Patriarch is only doing this for your own good!" a middle-aged man in black with hawk-like eyes shouted from behind, his True Martial Realm Eighth Layer aura flaring as he tore through the sky.

A resolute look filled Lin Yue’s beautiful eyes. "For my own good? As if I don’t know what Father is thinking! Uncle Lin, don’t say another word! I, Lin Yue, will die before I marry that waste of space from the Wang Family!"

Xiao Chen hovered in the void, watching the scene unfold. His deep, black eyes seemed to be reminiscing about something.

’This scene... it seems so familiar.’

"SWISH!"

She tore through the air, crossing several hundred more miles, before arriving in front of the resolute, powerfully-built young man in the black robe. A look of joy on her face, she said, "Sir, please help me. I will be sure to reward you handsomely."

"Help you? Of course!" Xiao Chen’s lips curled into a gentle, refined smile.

The very next instant, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes. Magical Power surged within him as a terrifying Dao Rhythm wrapped around his body, and he unleashed an incomparably tyrannical aura. In a single motion, he reached out, his hand tearing through the air. His five fingers snapped around the beautiful woman’s neck, and with a sharp twist—CRACK!—it was done. Fluid, clean, and decisive.

"Wh... why...?" Lin Yue asked, unwilling to accept her fate. Her vacant eyes were filled with utter disbelief in her final moments.

’Why?’

’I, Xiao Chen, am cold, merciless, and utterly ruthless.’

Then, he released his grip on the beautiful cultivator’s neck, and Lin Yue’s body plummeted downward.

"I’ve always been a soft-hearted person. I can’t bear to see such things."

"So, I’ll have to ask all of you to join your young miss on her journey."

Xiao Chen’s dark eyes watched the dozens of figures in the distance as a faint smile spread across his face.