Chapter 496: Utmost Brutality

“Humans, obediently become nourishment for my Soul Devouring Pearl,” the ancient clan’s centurion roared, his palms striking out as a surge of potent spiritual energy erupted, propelling the “Soul Devouring Pearl.”

Instantly, a wave of resentment rose in the void, filled with countless grotesque faces screaming in agony—these were the resentments of the myriad races.

He was the centurion of the ancient clan, capturing members of the myriad races, torturing them mercilessly to force their deepest resentments to erupt, then using a special method to refine them into a terrifying artifact.

The pearl rapidly expanded, and the dark beads transformed into horrifying heads, densely packed and roaring furiously.

“Haha… humans, your end has come,” the ancient clan’s centurion laughed maniacally, gazing at the overwhelming resentment.

Li Tianquan, his injuries mostly healed, stood up, his slender hands forming a series of seals.

“Star Shatter!”

In an instant, Li Tianquan harnessed the power of the stars, channeling a surge of stellar energy that blasted toward the “Soul Devouring Pearl.”

“Devour it!” the centurion bellowed, as the nine hundred and ninety-nine heads roared, black mist enveloping the void. The heads rapidly combined, forming a massive skull.

Within the skull, dark flames burned as it opened its maw, swallowing the stellar energy whole.

“Haha…” the centurion sneered, “Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—utterly overestimating yourself.”

“This…” Li Tianquan spat out a mouthful of blood, his injuries flaring up from the backlash of forcibly using stellar energy.

“Today, all of you will die here,” the ancient clan’s commander howled.

“Junior brothers and sisters, run!” Li Tianquan urged.

“Senior brother, what about you?”

“I must stay. This brother saved us—how can I abandon him?” Li Tianquan stared resolutely at the overwhelming resentment.

This time, he truly felt no hope, yet his heart was filled with defiance. Why? Why did the will of the Ancient Saint Realm protect these cruel ancient clans?

“Is this the so-called artifact that no one from the myriad races can forge?” Lin Fan watched with a disdainful smile.

Though he didn’t fully understand the situation, if this was considered a true artifact, then what would the ones he forged be?

“Are you afraid?” the centurion taunted.

“Afraid?” Lin Fan laughed. “In all the world, is there anything I, Lin Fan, fear? Open your eyes wide and see what a real artifact is.”

“Demon City, rise!” Lin Fan roared, and a demonic city soared into the sky, floating in the void.

“This can’t be…” Li Tianquan stared in disbelief at the artifact emerging from Lin Fan.

For the myriad races, obtaining such an artifact required slaying the ancient clans and seizing it by force. Forging one themselves was utterly impossible.

The palm-sized “Demon City” exuded a dense demonic aura, rapidly expanding until it blotted out the sky.

“Tear it apart!”

Roar!

At the center of the “Demon City,” the majestic form of an ancient demon stood tall, a massive hand reaching out as if the entire world lay within its grasp.

The power of the Earth Spirit River surged into the demon’s hand.

Boom!

The monstrous skull roared, black mist coiling around the demon’s hand, attempting to devour it. But to the ancient demon, these were mere ants.

Though the “Demon City” was only a semi-finished pseudo-artifact, after Lin Fan’s refinement, fused with the Earth Spirit River and absorbing the essence of countless ancient beasts, it was now far beyond its former self.

“How can a human possess such an artifact?” the centurion shouted in disbelief.

“Be crushed!” Lin Fan sneered, as the Earth Spirit River shot out from the “Demon City,” enveloping the demon’s massive hand.

Boom!

A dull thud echoed as the ancient demon crushed the massive skull, shattering it into countless fragments of resentment that floated in the void.

“Impossible! My Soul Devouring Pearl!” The centurion’s eyes turned bloodshot, unable to believe his artifact had been destroyed by a human.

“Impossible! Reassemble!”

The fragments of resentment tried to reform, but to the ancient demon, they were a feast. Its maw opened wide, devouring the fragments with a powerful suction.

“No!” The centurion watched in horror as the resentment he had painstakingly gathered was consumed. “Damn human, you destroyed my artifact! I’ll kill you!”

Lin Fan watched the enraged centurion with satisfaction. Now, the centurion was nothing more than a fish on the chopping block, at his mercy.

But death wouldn’t come so easily.

“Sword Qi Unleashed!”

Lin Fan’s mind stirred, and countless sword energies infused with the Earth Spirit River’s essence merged into the ground, with “Flying Sky” hidden among them.

He wasn’t sure how effective “Flying Sky” would be—this was its maiden battle.

“I’ll kill you!” The centurion roared, throwing a punch imbued with immense power toward Lin Fan.

The punch carried his boundless fury, darkening the heavens. Lin Fan’s figure was locked in place, unable to move.

At that moment, Lin Fan realized his mistake. The ancient clan’s commander, whom he had underestimated, possessed the cultivation of the Desolate Heaven Realm.

Now he understood that the centurion, though only at the mid-stage of the Azure Heaven Realm, unleashed extraordinary power. If not for his earlier carelessness, he might have lasted a few rounds against Lin Fan.

But now, it was too late.

The centurion had only one thought: to kill this human, devour his flesh, and quench his hatred.

“Die!”

Lin Fan smiled as the centurion charged. With a thought, the hidden sword energies erupted from the ground.

“Pfft!”

“You…” The centurion was pierced by the sword energies, resembling a porcupine. “Despicable human, you can’t kill me!”

The centurion roared, shattering the sword energies piercing his body. Foul black blood gushed out, only fueling his ferocity.

His menacing aura sent chills through the members of the Star Pavilion.

“Be careful…” Lin Fan said calmly.

“Huh?” The centurion, seeing Lin Fan’s expression, sensed something was wrong.

“Flying Sky.”

Whoosh!

In an instant, a flash of cold light seemed to pierce through everything, spinning at high speed as it burst from the ground, aiming straight for the centurion’s rear.

The centurion’s face froze, and he let out a blood-curdling scream. “What is this…?”

But before he could finish, something even Lin Fan found shocking happened.

The centurion was launched into the void.

Boom!

Flesh and blood scattered, turning to ash.

“Uh… that’s too terrifying,” Lin Fan was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected such an outcome.

The “Flying Sky,” piercing through everything, unleashed such immense power upon entering the centurion’s rear.

Whoosh!

“Flying Sky” flashed past, then embedded itself in front of Lin Fan.

At that moment, Lin Fan realized he had named it wrong.

“Electric Light Poison Dragon Drill, soaring to the heavens.”

Instantly, a wave of resentment rose in the void, countless hideous faces screaming within it—these were the accumulated resentments of the Great Thousand Races.

He was the Qian Fuchang of the ancient clan, capturing members of the Great Thousand Races, torturing them mercilessly until their resentment exploded forth. Using special techniques, he refined their hatred into a terrifying artifact.

The bead instantly expanded, each pitch-black orb transforming into a gruesome skull. A dense cluster of skulls roared furiously.

“Hahaha… Human, your doom has arrived,” the ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang laughed maniacally, gazing at the surging resentment in the sky.

Li Tianquan had mostly recovered from his injuries and now stood up, his slender hands shifting rapidly into various seals.

“Stars Shattered!”

In an instant, Li Tianquan summoned the power of the stars, channeling a beam of stellar energy that surged forth and struck the Soul Devouring Demon Bead.

“Swallow it!” The ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang roared. The 999 skulls bellowed, black mist enveloping the void. They rapidly merged into one colossal skull.

Within this giant skull, dark flames burned, and then it opened its massive mouth, devouring the beam of stellar energy in one gulp.

“Humans, obediently become the nourishment for my Soul Devouring Pearl,” the ancient clan’s centurion roared, slamming his palms together. Thick spiritual energy erupted, driving the “Soul Devouring Pearl” into action.

Instantly, a wave of resentment rose in the void, filled with countless grotesque faces howling in agony. These were the resentments of countless races.

As the centurion of the ancient clan, he captured members of these races, tortured them mercilessly, forcing their deepest resentments to surface. Then, using a special method, he refined them into a terrifying artifact.

The pearl expanded rapidly, and the pitch-black beads transformed into horrifying heads, densely packed and roaring furiously.

“Haha… Humans, your doom is at hand,” the centurion laughed maniacally, gazing at the overwhelming resentment.

Li Tianquan, having mostly recovered from his injuries, stood up. His slender hands moved swiftly, forming a series of seals.

“Star Shatter!”

In an instant, Li Tianquan harnessed the power of the stars, channeling a surge of stellar energy that blasted toward the “Soul Devouring Pearl.”

“Devour it!” the centurion bellowed. The nine hundred and ninety-nine heads roared, shrouding the void in black mist. They rapidly combined, forming a colossal skull.

Within the skull, dark flames burned. It opened its massive maw and swallowed the stellar energy whole.

“Haha…” the centurion sneered, “Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—utterly futile.”

“This…” Li Tianquan spat out a mouthful of blood. His injuries, not fully healed, worsened from the backlash of forcefully using stellar energy.

“Today, you all die here,” the ancient clan’s commander roared.

“Junior brothers and sisters, run!” Li Tianquan urged.

“Senior brother, what about you?”

“I must stay. This brother saved us. How can I abandon him?” Li Tianquan faced the overwhelming resentment without fear.

This time, he truly felt hopeless, yet his heart was filled with defiance. Why? Why did the heavens of the Ancient Saint Realm protect these cruel ancient clans?

“Is this the so-called artifact that no one from the myriad races can forge?” Lin Fan watched with a disdainful smile.

Though he didn’t fully understand the situation, if this was considered a true artifact, then what did that make the ones he had forged?

“What, are you afraid?” the centurion taunted.

“Afraid?” Lin Fan laughed. “In all the world, is there anything I, Lin Fan, fear? Open your eyes wide and see what a real artifact looks like.”

“Demon City, emerge!” Lin Fan roared. A demonic city soared into the sky, floating in the void.

“This can’t be…” Li Tianquan stared in disbelief at the artifact emerging from Lin Fan.

For the myriad races, obtaining such an artifact required slaying the ancient clans and seizing it by force. Forging one themselves was utterly impossible.

The palm-sized “Demon City” exuded a dense demonic aura, rapidly expanding until it blotted out the sky.

“Tear it apart!”

Roar!

At the center of the “Demon City,” the majestic form of an ancient demon stood tall. A massive hand reached out, as if the entire world lay within its grasp.

The power of the Earth Spirit River surged into the demon’s eerie palm.

Boom!

The grotesque skull roared, its black mist coiling around the demon’s hand, attempting to devour it. But to the ancient demon, these were mere ants.

Though the “Demon City” was only a semi-finished pseudo-artifact, Lin Fan’s refinement, combined with the Earth Spirit River and the absorption of countless ancient beast essences, had elevated it far beyond its former state.

“How can a human possess such an artifact?” the centurion shouted in disbelief.

“Suppress it!” Lin Fan coldly commanded. The Earth Spirit River shot out from the “Demon City,” enveloping the demon’s massive hand.

Boom!

A dull thud echoed as the ancient demon crushed the colossal skull, shattering it into countless fragments of resentment that floated in the void.

“Impossible! My Soul Devouring Pearl!” The centurion’s eyes turned bloodshot, unable to believe his artifact had been destroyed by a human.

“Impossible! Reassemble!”

The fragments of resentment tried to coalesce, but to the ancient demon, they were a feast. Its massive maw opened, devouring the fragments with a powerful suction.

“No!” The centurion watched in horror as the fragments he had painstakingly gathered were absorbed. “Damn human! You destroyed my artifact! I’ll kill you!”

Lin Fan watched the enraged centurion with satisfaction. Now, the centurion was nothing more than a fish on the chopping block, at his mercy.

But death wouldn’t come so easily.

“Sword Qi Crisscross!”

Lin Fan’s thoughts stirred. Countless sword auras, infused with the Earth Spirit River’s essence, merged into the ground, with “Sky Piercer” hidden among them.

He wasn’t sure how effective “Sky Piercer” would be—this was its maiden battle.

“I’ll kill you!” The centurion roared, throwing a punch imbued with immense power toward Lin Fan.

The punch carried his boundless rage, dimming the heavens. Lin Fan’s figure was locked in place, unable to move.

At this moment, Lin Fan realized his mistake. The ancient clan’s commander, whom he had underestimated, possessed the cultivation of the Desolate Heaven Realm.

Now he understood that the centurion, though only at the mid-stage of the Azure Heaven Realm, was far more powerful than he had anticipated. If not for the centurion’s earlier carelessness, he might have lasted a few rounds.

But now, it was too late.

The centurion had only one thought: to kill this human, devour his flesh, and quench his hatred.

“Die!”

Lin Fan smiled as the furious centurion charged. With a thought, the hidden sword auras erupted from the ground.

“Thud!”

“You…” The centurion was pierced by the sword auras, resembling a porcupine. “Despicable human! You can’t kill me!”

The centurion roared, shattering the sword auras that had impaled him. Foul black blood gushed out, only intensifying his ferocity.

His menacing aura sent chills through the hearts of the Star Pavilion disciples.

“Be careful,” Lin Fan said calmly.

“Huh?” The centurion, seeing Lin Fan’s expression, felt a surge of unease.

“Sky Piercer.”

Whoosh!

In an instant, a flash of cold light, as if piercing through everything, shot out from the ground at high speed, aiming straight for the centurion’s rear.

The centurion’s face froze, and he let out a blood-curdling scream. “What is this…?”

But before he could finish, something happened that even Lin Fan found shocking.

The centurion was launched into the void.

Boom!

Flesh and blood scattered, turning to ash.

“Uh… That was terrifying,” Lin Fan muttered, dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected such an outcome.

The “Sky Piercer,” after penetrating the centurion’s rear, unleashed an unimaginable force.

Whoosh!

“Sky Piercer” flew back, embedding itself in the ground before Lin Fan.

At that moment, Lin Fan realized he had named it wrong.

“Electric Light Poison Dragon Drill, soaring to the heavens.”

“This…” Witnessing the scene, Li Tianquan spat out a mouthful of blood. His injuries weren’t fully healed, and forcefully using stellar energy had backfired on him.

“Today, all of you shall die here,” the ancient clan’s Wan Fuchang bellowed.

“Quickly, flee, junior brothers and sisters,” Li Tianquan urged.

“Senior brother, what about you?”

“I must stay. This comrade saved us; how could I abandon him?” Li Tianquan stared fearlessly at the waves of resentment in the sky.

This time, he truly felt all hope was gone, but in his heart, he remained unwilling to accept it. Why? Why did the will of the Ancient Holy Realm protect these cruel ancient clans?

“Is this the legendary artifact that no one from the Great Thousand Races can forge?” Lin Fan observed the scene, a faint sneer curling his lips.

Though he didn’t know the full details, if this was considered a true artifact, then what he had forged should be something even greater.

“You dare mock it?” The ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang spoke.

“Mock it?” Lin Fan laughed at that moment. “Is there anything in this world that Lin Fan fears? Open your dog eyes wide and witness what true treasure really is.”

“Yao City, emerge!”

With a mighty roar, Lin Fan summoned forth a city of ancient demonic power, soaring into the sky and floating in midair.

“This is impossible…” Li Tianquan’s face turned pale with disbelief when he saw the artifact emerge from Lin Fan.

Among the Great Thousand Races, obtaining such an artifact was only possible by slaying an ancient clan warrior and seizing it by force. Forging one themselves was thought impossible.

The palm-sized “Yao City” exuded a dense demonic aura and expanded rapidly until it blotted out the sky.

“Tear it apart!”

Roar!

At the heart of the Yao City, the mighty figure of an ancient great demon stood tall. A gigantic hand shot forth, as if the entire universe lay within its grasp.

The power of the Tu Ling River surged into the ancient demon’s palm.

Crash!

The monstrous skull roared, spewing forth towering waves of black mist, attempting to swallow the ancient demon’s hand. But to the ancient demon, such things were mere insects.

Though the “Yao City” was only a semi-finished, fake divine artifact, after Lin Fan’s refinement, merging it with the Tu Ling River and absorbing the essence of countless ancient beasts, it had become vastly superior.

“How can you, a human, possess such a treasure?” The Qian Fuchang of the ancient clan roared in disbelief and fury.

“Suppress it!”

Lin Fan coldly snorted. The Tu Ling River burst forth from the Yao City, surging into the ancient demon’s massive hand.

Crash!

With a heavy sound, the ancient demon crushed the massive skull directly into countless fragments of resentment, floating in the void.

“No! My Soul Devouring Demon Bead!” The ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang’s eyes turned blood-red, unable to believe what he was seeing—his treasured artifact had been destroyed by a human.

“No! Reunite!”

The shattered fragments of resentment attempted to recombine, but to the ancient demon, these were all nourishing treasures. It opened its massive mouth, unleashing a mighty suction force.

“No!” The Qian Fuchang screamed as he watched his painstakingly gathered resentment fragments being absorbed, his soul shaken. “Damn human, you destroyed my treasure! I’ll kill you!”

Lin Fan watched the Qian Fuchang’s furious expression with satisfaction. At this moment, this ancient clan commander was nothing more than meat on his chopping block, at his mercy.

But it wouldn’t be that easy for him to die.

“Sword Qi Raging!”

At Lin Fan’s thought, countless sword qi, imbued with the aura of the Tu Ling River, sank into the ground, while “Feitian” was hidden among them.

He wondered how effective “Feitian” would be—it was about to see its first battle.

“I’ll kill you!” Roaring with rage, the ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang unleashed a mighty fist toward Lin Fan.

This furious punch, filled with boundless wrath, dimmed the heavens, locking tightly onto Lin Fan, who could barely move.

At that moment, Lin Fan realized the ancient clan’s Wan Fuchang, whom he had been eyeing, possessed the cultivation realm of Huang Tian. He hadn’t taken him seriously before.

But now he understood—he had been completely mistaken.

The Qian Fuchang before him was only at the middle stage of Qing Tian cultivation, yet the power he unleashed was extraordinary. If not for his earlier carelessness, he might have lasted a few exchanges against Lin Fan.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

At this moment, the Qian Fuchang’s sole thought was to kill this human, devouring his blood and flesh to quell his fury.

“Die!”

As the ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang charged forward furiously, Lin Fan smiled faintly, his mind shifting. The hidden sword qi erupted from the ground.

“Whoosh!”

“You…” The Qian Fuchang was pierced by sword qi, like a porcupine. “Despicable human, you can’t kill me.”

Roaring, the Qian Fuchang shattered all the sword qi piercing him, black, foul-smelling blood gushing forth, enhancing his terrifying aura.

This ferocious presence sent chills through the hearts of the Star Pavilion disciples.

“Hehe, watch carefully…” Lin Fan said calmly.

“Hmph…” Seeing Lin Fan’s expression, the Qian Fuchang suddenly sensed danger.

“Feitian!”

Whoosh!

In an instant, a flash of cold light pierced through everything, spinning rapidly, bursting from the earth straight toward the Qian Fuchang’s rear.

The Qian Fuchang’s expression changed instantly, and he howled in pain and terror, “What the hell is that…”

But before he could finish, a shocking scene unfolded.

The ancient clan’s Qian Fuchang actually flew into the sky.

Boom!

Flesh exploded, turning to dust.

“Eh… That’s too terrifying,” Lin Fan stood there stunned, never expecting the outcome to be this extreme.

The “Feitian,” which pierced through everything, unleashed unimaginable power once it entered the ancient clan’s rear.

Whoosh!

“Feitian” flashed by and then plunged into the ground before Lin Fan.

At this moment, Lin Fan realized a problem—he had named it wrong.

“Lightning Poison Dragon Drill, soaring into the heavens.”