Chapter 540 - 63: One Punch

Chapter 540: Chapter 63: One Punch

"Shen Changchuan?!"

Nangong City’s heart had already turned to ash. He was about to give up resisting and welcome the embrace of death.

However, the sudden turn of events made him freeze.

It wasn’t until that familiar figure appeared in his line of sight that he jolted as if from a dream and cried out.

"Brother Nangong, long time no see!"

The newcomer glanced back at him and gave a nod of acknowledgment.

The figure who had appeared was, of course, Shen Changchuan, who had just recently emerged from his seclusion at Thunder Flame Mountain!

Not long ago, after finishing his Cultivation at Thunder Flame Mountain, he had planned to continue searching the Xiangshan Sect Ruins for any surviving Jade Slips or other information.

He wanted to use them to find the location of the legendary Enlightenment Secret Realm.

However, before he could find the information he needed, he noticed that others were also searching the area.

And it wasn’t just one person, but small teams of two or three!

This made Shen Changchuan instantly realize that he might no longer have the Xiangshan Sect Gate Ruins all to himself!

Sure enough, after a small team of reckless Cultivators tried to kill him for his treasures, only to be killed by him in return and subjected to a Soul Search, his suspicions were confirmed!

His initial guess had been correct.

The phenomenon deep in the desert that had attracted a large number of foreign Cultivators was indeed related to these Xiangshan Sect Gate Ruins.

According to the memories of the person he had Soul Searched,

the prodigies from the Outer Realm had gathered together and, by paying some sort of price, used the site of the desert phenomenon as a bridge to open an entrance into the Xiangshan Sect Gate Ruins!

Moreover, this had happened not long after he entered Thunder Flame Mountain to begin his Cultivation!

So, shortly after Shen Changchuan entered Thunder Flame Mountain, the prodigies from the Outer Realm had already forced an opening!

The only reason he had spent a month on Thunder Flame Mountain without noticing anything unusual was entirely due to the protection of the spatial fissures surrounding the mountain.

The dense web of terrifying, shocking spatial fissures around Thunder Flame Mountain made anyone who approached flinch and turn back, forcing them to explore other areas instead.

It was because of this that Shen Changchuan was able to cultivate peacefully on Thunder Flame Mountain for a month.

However, while the benefits of cultivating peacefully on Thunder Flame Mountain and improving his strength were great,

it had also cut him off from the outside world.

According to the information from the mind of the enemy he had Soul Searched,

thousands of people had already flooded into the Xiangshan Sect Ruins during this time!

Among these people,

there were first several dozen prodigies from the Outer Realm.

As the group that found the place and expended the most effort, they were the first to enter.

After them came their attendants, followers, and so on, numbering several hundred in total.

Later still were the Cultivators from the outside who came rushing in after hearing the news.

Cultivators from all walks of life, at the Soul Emergence Realm, the Qi Introduction Realm... as the news spread, more and more people gathered.

By now, at least five or six thousand people had entered this pocket dimension!

This couldn’t help but make Shen Changchuan worry.

’With so many people here,’ he thought, ’do I still have a chance of finding that Enlightenment Secret Realm?’

’And even if I do find it, can I still cultivate in seclusion there peacefully, using its Comprehension-enhancing Traits to develop my Spatial Slash?’

But despite his worries, Shen Changchuan had no intention of giving up.

As the saying goes, there will always be a way out. Whether it was possible or not would depend on the situation after he found the place.

Of course, with this unexpected development,

Shen Changchuan no longer had his previously leisurely attitude. Instead, a sense of urgency took its place,

and he began to search his surroundings rapidly.

He moved from one spot to the next after finishing his search.

Along the way, he encountered other unfamiliar Cultivators.

However, upon seeing him, they would become wary and turn to avoid him.

Since they didn’t attack him, Shen Changchuan naturally didn’t strike a killing blow; after all, he wasn’t some bloodthirsty maniac.

But at the same time, because there was no communication,

Shen Changchuan was completely in the dark about the current situation within the Xiangshan Sect Ruins.

Just as he was planning to grab someone to get some information,

he sensed intense fluctuations of aura from a chase about ten li away and glanced in that direction.

He saw Nangong City being hunted down, fleeing for his life.

As a friend with whom he had once fought side-by-side, Shen Changchuan would naturally not stand by and do nothing.

And so, the current scene unfolded: he arrived just in time to save Nangong City from the brink of death.

"Brother Shen, what are you doing here?"

A few moments later, after confirming that the person before him was indeed Shen Changchuan,

Nangong City recovered slightly from his astonishment and couldn’t help but ask.

"Well... Hmm!"

Shen Changchuan was about to say something when he suddenly sensed it.

The Cultivator in the distance, Bai Jingyuan, had abandoned even the Spiritual Long Spear that Shen Changchuan had grabbed.

He turned and fled, transforming into a streak of escaping light and shooting toward the distant horizon. In the blink of an eye, he crossed several thousand zhang of empty space like a bolt of lightning.

"It’s a long story. Brother Nangong, wait a moment. I’ll deal with him first!"

Leaving these words behind, Shen Changchuan took a step forward, and his body lit up with a silvery glow.

With that single step, he vanished into the void.

...

Bai Jingyuan’s figure, a streak of escaping light, shot rapidly across the sky.

At this moment, he no longer possessed a shred of his previous arrogance.

In its place was a head drenched in sweat.

He had, of course, heard the name Shen Changchuan.

The number one expert of the Tian Nan Domain’s younger generation.

An Inner Sect Disciple from the Yuqing Immortal Sect at the Soul Emergence Eighth Layer Peak, suppressed with ease in just a few moves!

These achievements—

any one of them was far beyond what a mere Sixth Layer Peak cultivator like him could even dream of challenging.

And so, the moment Nangong City shouted that name and the other man responded,

Bai Jingyuan fled without a moment’s hesitation.

But could he truly escape?

"Why don’t you stay?"

Bai Jingyuan, who had already fled for his life more than ten li away, suddenly heard a voice ring in his ears.

Bai Jingyuan was horrified.

He saw an overwhelming aura, one that seemed to connect heaven and earth, rolling toward him like a tidal wave, blanketing the entire world!

Then, the space in all directions began to press in on him like closing walls,

with an irresistible force that seemed intent on crushing him into paste!

Bai Jingyuan looked back and saw the shadow of a fist, as if it had pierced through the heavens, descending to suppress him!

"You forced my hand!"

Bai Jingyuan gritted his teeth.

With a flip of his hand, a Decree appeared.

"Be careful! That’s a Decree with a Divine Travel Realm technique sealed inside!"

Far behind, Nangong City, who had been about to follow, saw this, and his soul nearly flew from his body. He immediately let out a terrified shout in Shen Changchuan’s direction.

"Get out of the way!"