Nangong Yuanwang’s face was as cold as frost, exuding a chill and murderous aura. Even the top-ranked ten-level warriors of the Nangong family would have crumbled under his pressure and fallen to their knees.
The young man before him, though possessing an unusually refined and potent origin force, had not yet formed a vortex and had not stepped into the realm of a warrior. Yet, he stood firm and unyielding. This was a great humiliation for Nangong Yuanwang, whose reputation had spread far and wide decades ago.
This youth must not be allowed to live! A resolute killing intent flashed in Nangong Yuanwang’s eyes. He abandoned any thoughts of capturing the intruder alive. Without hesitation, he clenched his right hand into a fist and launched an attack at Qian Ye from a distance.
As he threw the punch, the wind around him subtly changed, as if all the origin power of the heavens and earth were surging towards the fist, forming a large, azure light ball that hurtled towards Qian Ye!
Although they were a hundred meters apart, Qian Ye could see that the light ball was composed of countless threads of azure light. These beams, though manifestations of origin power, were solid and formidable, with power that could shake the very heavens.
The azure light ball sped like lightning, reaching Qian Ye in an instant. However, instead of dodging or retreating as everyone expected, Qian Ye took a step forward, sinking his waist, and his entire body suddenly burst with a rich, bloody radiance. He punched back at the azure light ball, choosing to confront Nangong Yuanwang’s attack head-on!
A blinding light suddenly illuminated the landing field, so bright that even Nangong Yuanwang had to squint, unable to see clearly through the glare.
The intense light shifted from white to azure, instantly emitting countless fine azure beams in a fan-like pattern, sweeping across the field and covering a large area.
These thin, hair-like beams possessed a terrifying cutting force, slicing through human bodies, armor, and even origin swords and blades without resistance. Even the thick outer armor of military floating warships was covered in deep, intersecting cuts.
Hundreds of elite Nangong private soldiers stood motionless, their faces frozen in shock. They moved slightly, and in an instant, they crumbled like sandcastles, disintegrating into dozens or even hundreds of pieces, including their combat knives and rifles.
A vast, deadly azure zone in the shape of a fan appeared on the landing field.
However, at the tip of the fan, one person still stood tall!
Nangong Yuanwang’s pupils contracted, and his right hand trembled. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. His eyes shot out long, azure beams as he focused intently.
Qian Ye stood straight, and his face, fists, and body were covered in crisscrossed blood lines—traces left by the cutting azure beams. Yet, his eyes remained bright, blue as the vast ocean, fathomless.
Finally, Qian Ye moved, slowly retracting his fist. As he did so, his tactical coat shattered into pieces, having been cut into dozens of fragments by the azure beams.
Nangong Yuanwang secretly sighed in relief, his gaze softening. No matter who that youth was, he could not withstand Nangong Yuanwang’s ultimate skill: the Azure Sky Rupture. Even if Nangong Yuanwang could only use twelfth-level origin power now, it was still more than enough to crush a young generation warrior like Nangong Xiaoyue.
But Nangong Yuanwang’s eyes twitched, and he was stunned to see that Qian Ye’s right fist had actually retracted to his side, not shattered into pieces mid-air.
Qian Ye seemed largely unharmed, even flashing a mocking smile. The blood lines on his body only oozed a few drops of blood at first, then ceased, and began to fade.
Not only Nangong Yuanwang, but all the surviving Nangong clan experts were incredulous. Could it be that Nangong Yuanwang’s earth-shattering blow had been completely absorbed?
Suddenly, a muffled boom echoed like thunder, and a fire pillar shot into the sky. The military patrol boat behind Qian Ye, damaged by the Azure Sky Rupture, finally exploded as the energy core was compromised.
In the blaze and scorching wind, Qian Ye’s hair fluttered, and his gaze was icy. He simply raised his hand and pointed at Nangong Yuanwang from afar.
Facing such a provocation, Nangong Yuanwang was enraged. His voice boomed like thunder, “Arrogant whelp! Today, I will utterly destroy you and make you understand what divine wrath is!” With a wave of his hand, his aura surged.
At this moment, the world fell silent, devoid of all sound, even the leaping flames seemed to freeze. An indescribable feeling crept into everyone’s hearts, from Nangong Yuanwang and Qian Ye down to a common technician. They felt as if some unspoken, indescribable being had opened its eyes and was looking at them.
Unconsciously, everyone looked up at the sky.
In the leaden-gray iron curtain, a colossal vortex had appeared, spanning a hundred miles. At its center, an amber-colored eye slowly opened, gazing down at the ants below.
The eye was entirely amber, without a pupil or sclera, but the cold, indifferent gaze was deeply felt by all.
Nangong Yuanwang’s expression drastically changed, and with a strange cry, his figure vanished from its original spot. In his place, more than a dozen Nangong private soldiers appeared, confused and bewildered, looking around, not understanding why they had suddenly been teleported.
As they stood there, bewildered, the eye in the sky turned towards them. Their bodies exploded, turning into clouds of blood mist, floating but not falling, and in a blink, they vanished into nothingness. Dozens of elite soldiers, as if they had never existed.
Qian Ye, witnessing this, narrowed his eyes, astonished by the divine might and also by Nangong Yuanwang’s unpredictable skills, which had somehow transported a dozen soldiers to his location in the blink of an eye. If not for the iron curtain, he truly would not have dared to face off against this legendary old monster.
Nangong Yuanwang now stood among a group of dazed private soldiers, pale-faced and trembling, his eyes filled with fear.
Born noble, gifted, and always on top, he now understood, for the first time, the insignificance of mortals in the face of the Heavenly Ghost. At this moment, he could not muster any resistance, only desperately trying to hide his aura, hoping to be mistaken for a common soldier.
The eye in the sky slowly rotated, seeming to hesitate, and finally dissipated. As the Heavenly Ghost’s consciousness departed, it was like a tidal wave receding, rumbling and fading into the distance.
Qian Ye also looked up, his expression complex.
This was the true divine might!
With the Heavenly Ghost gone, Nangong Yuanwang regained his lofty demeanor. With a snort, he flicked his sleeve, and invisible origin power pushed the surrounding soldiers aside, clearing a large space.
Nangong Yuanwang stepped out of the shadows and immediately saw Qian Ye’s mocking gaze, filling him with both shame and anger, his face burning.
“Whelp, you dare to mock me!” Nangong Yuanwang’s teeth clenched, his hair and beard flying, and he raised his right hand high. The air swirled, and thunder rumbled. The sheer power indicated that this attack was even more terrifying than the previous Azure Sky Rupture.
But Nangong Yuanwang’s hand, raised halfway, froze. Qian Ye coldly gestured towards the leaden-gray iron curtain, and Nangong Yuanwang felt the terrifying presence beginning to fluctuate. How could he dare to move? A strike with this force would not merely draw the Heavenly Ghost’s awareness but its actual incarnation.
Nangong Yuanwang’s face alternated between pale and red, and finally, he brought his right hand down with a heavy thud, but without any origin power, followed by a roar: “Minions, capture him and tear him limb from limb!”
The soldiers hesitated, then, under the strict military discipline, they reluctantly moved forward, and the clamor of battle grew louder.
Thousands of Nangong soldiers rushed towards Qian Ye like a tide, their bullets, shells, and origin power bolts forming a stream of fire, raining down upon him.
Qian Ye sneered, turning to flee from the landing field, with the mass of Nangong soldiers chasing after him.
The night sky echoed with the roar of engines, rapidly approaching. A floating boat emerged from the clouds, speeding through the air.
Qian Ye leaped and grabbed the trailing rope. Hei Yue immediately steered the boat, accelerating upwards and away, vanishing into the night. On the ground, the Nangong soldiers were left speechless.
At this moment, several divine senses penetrated the barriers of mountains and rivers, lingering over the iron curtain above Nangong Yuanwang before slowly dissipating.
In the headquarters of the Expeditionary Force, two men in wide robes were playing chess—the Duke of Dingguo and the Duke of Weiguo, sent by the Empire to guard the military merit list. These two great figures had been playing for a long time, but the board was still sparsely populated with only a few dozen pieces.
The Duke of Weiguo held a white piece, hesitating to place it. He glanced out the window and said, “The Heavenly Ghost has become angry again, rather oddly. It seems to be near the Nangong family’s territory. But with several bloody examples already, why can’t Nangong Yuanwang control himself and avoid drawing the Heavenly Ghost’s attention?”
The Duke of Dingguo, who was in a favorable position, smiled confidently. “Perhaps someone forced Nangong Yuanwang to act.”
The Duke of Weiguo smiled enigmatically, “Nangong Yuanwang may be a bit shady, but he has real skills. Even we would find it a challenge to deal with him. Someone who can force him to draw the Heavenly Ghost’s attention is rare indeed.”
The Duke of Dingguo nodded, “Indeed. At his level, he can only use twelfth-level power under the iron curtain. But with his experience and realm, ordinary thirteenth or fourteenth-level warriors are no match for him. That person is quite interesting.”
The Duke of Weiguo suddenly asked, “Have you heard about what happened at the Grand Assembly?”
The question was somewhat abrupt, but the Duke of Dingguo understood and replied calmly, “He has been impeached many times, but the Emperor always let it slide. Why should this be different?”
“This time is different…” The Duke of Weiguo stopped himself, placing a piece on the board.
The Duke of Dingguo leisurely picked up a black piece, examined the board, and placed it down with a snap, “Why bother with others? We just need to know where we stand, don’t we?”
“True.”
The two dukes lapsed into thoughtful silence, the game once again stalemated.
A thousand miles away, a camp was built in a picturesque location. The camp was small, with soldiers coming and going, patrolling, fetching water, and cooking, all in an orderly manner. From tents to armor and weapons, the equipment of this unit was exceptionally fine, almost luxurious.
In the central tent, Zhao Jiandu, with both hands on the table, was studying a map, deep in thought.
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