“These five Firestorm Talismans are worth more than ten million divine jades. Even late Heavenly Core Realm cultivators have been killed by them. Long Chen, let’s see how you’ll escape this!” Chu Tianxiong laughed like a madman, his heart completely filled with hatred. He used all five Firestorm Talismans on Long Chen at the same time.
When Long Chen was up against the Thunder Talisman, he remained calm despite the emergency situation because he knew he would survive it. However, he didn’t know if he could survive the sheer force of five Firestorm Talismans! If he survived and was left severely injured, it would greatly affect his chances in the upcoming competition.
“Big Brother!” Mo Xiaolang’s eyes were bloodshot when he saw Long Chen’s situation.
Long Chen had defeated Dongfang Xuanyu, so Mo Xiaolang was confident in his brother. However, he hadn’t expected this. Even though he could easily shake Jin Luan off, he might not make it in time to save Long Chen!
Am I going to die in this old geezer’s hands? Long Chen was speechless. He had only just taken the Blazing Thunder Crystal Soul from Li Ziling and hadn’t had the chance to enjoy it yet. When the five talismans flew at him and exploded, the look on his face was one of extreme unwillingness!
All five Firestorm Talismans exploded at the same time, every single one turning into a giant fireball. They looked like five suns hanging above Long Chen, shooting out roaring flames. The heatwaves almost threw Long Chen back!
This is bad! Long Chen’s expression turned gloomy. The fireballs had started to expand. If they all exploded at the same time, they would probably flatten an area of twenty meters. Being at the center of it all, there was no chance he could come out unscathed.
Chu Tianxiong had said that they could kill a late Heavenly Core Realm cultivator, and that was not just him bragging. Dongfang Xuanyu intended to kill Long Chen, so she had made great preparations to ensure that he would die.
That bitch! I let her live out of kindness, yet she sent these two to kill me, even resorting to such lowly tactics. Dongfang Xuanyu, you’d better hope I don’t get another chance to kill you! As the talismans started to explode in front of his eyes, all he could do was use the Nine Dragon Flashes to the best of his abilities to exit the twenty-meter radius within one second.
However, Long Chen knew that he could only travel ten meters within that time.
Am I really going to die here? He was furious. When he was in despair, he suddenly felt something in his Universe Pouch vibrating strongly. He had no time to think. He knew there wasn’t anything special in his pouch, but if something gave such a strange reaction, he had hope!
While Long Chen ran using the Nine Dragon Flashes, he took out the vibrating object. He then screamed and tossed it away immediately because it was too hot. His hand was burnt red from just touching it for a second, even turning a little black.
Long Chen’s eyes darted at the vibrating object, and he recognized it as the mysterious steel token from the Burning Heaven Mountain Range in the Desolate Beastlands. It was the item that had given him the Burning Devil Sun Fist.
When he threw the steel token, he saw something that surprised him. The fireballs suddenly stopped moving and melted into rivers of fire. The mysterious steel token swallowed the rivers of fire until the energy of the talismans was completely gone! No trace of them remained!
Looking at the empty skies, Long Chen knew he had been saved.
“What is that? How is that possible?” Chu Tianxiong was so close to killing Long Chen and taking revenge, but then the token had suddenly appeared and, to his disbelief, absorbed the power of the talismans. Chu Tianxiong was in shock! He felt like he had just stepped into heaven and then tumbled straight down to hell!
“Die!” Long Chen reacted quickly. This time, he did not hold back, and the Azure Dragon Halberd turned into a gust of wind in his hands, then into a roaring dragon as he struck it down on Chu Tianxiong!
“Azure Dragon Combat Technique, Split Yellow River, Shattered Skies!”
Two consecutive attacks sent the numb Chu Tianxiong stumbling back, his face pale. Long Chen did not give him a chance to recover. The Shattered Skies attack had pierced cleanly through Chu Tianxiong’s chest!
Fresh blood flowed.
“Long Chen, what was that …” asked Chu Tianxiong unwillingly with blood in his mouth, his face ghostly pale.
“Just a random steel token I picked up. I don’t know what it is either, haha.” Long Chen knew that although Chu Tianxiong could still speak, he was not far from death.
“Indeed, you are one of those legendary people who are always lucky …” Pulling the halberd out of his own chest, Chu Tianxiong fell to the ground, face up. His eyes remained wide, staring straight at the sky, but his body never moved again.
“He died without closing his eyes?”[1] Long Chen did not pity him. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and if he hadn’t killed Chu Tianxiong, he would be the one who was killed.
There was a cry from Mo Xiaolang’s side too. Long Chen looked over and saw that he had killed Jin Luan. Mo Xiaolang had always been much stronger than him. Dongfang Xuanyu had basically sent the duo to their deaths.
“Big Brother, what just happened?” Mo Xiaolang saw that a huge tragedy was about to befall Long Chen, but a steel token had suddenly saved him.
Mo Xiaolang was drenched in cold sweat.
“I don’t know either. It’s very mysterious. I picked it up a while ago in a place called the Burning Heaven Mountain Range. It started vibrating when the Firestorm Talismans appeared, so I took it out. I didn’t know it would save me.” The mysterious steel token had fallen on the ground, returning to its normal state. Long Chen walked over. Upon closer inspection, he knew that it wasn’t hot and would not burn him.
“Burning Heaven Mountain Range? Isn’t that a section of the Desolate Beastlands?” Mo Xiaolang cocked his head.
“Yeah.” Long Chen studied the token in his hand and said, “I don’t know what secrets it holds, and I couldn’t figure it out. Let me put it away.”
After doing so, Long Chen looked at Chu Tianxiong and Jin Luan’s bodies.
“Were they really sent by Dongfang Xuanyu?” Mo Xiaolang was furious. That woman had almost killed Long Chen.
“It was definitely her,” he said mildly.
“Should we storm the Lingwu family to demand an explanation from her?” suggested Mo Xiaolang.
“We’re not in a hurry for that. The battle in the ancient ruins will begin soon. We’ll let her go for the moment. There’s a place even more suitable for me to improve my strength. It’ll be great for you too,” Long Chen said mysteriously.
“Where?”
“Desolate Beastlands, Burning Heaven Mountain Range,” he said.
He had a few reasons for going. First, there were few people in the Desolate Beastlands, so they would not be disturbed and could focus on cultivation. Second, there were many beasts there, and Long Chen could improve his cultivation.
“Whatever you say, Big Brother.” Mo Xiaolang grinned.
Once decided, they hurriedly left for their destination.
Long after they were gone, the Dawn Trading Alliance members, who were tired from the chase, finally arrived. Long Chen’s battle against Chu Tianxiong had not taken much time.
Everyone froze when they saw the two black-clothed bodies. Li Ziling, who had recovered by now, pulled the black clothes off their faces and tried to remember who these people were.
“They’re the two Grand Elders of the Lingwu outer families, Chu Tianxiong and Jin Luan. Why would they be here, dead?” Li Ziling was puzzled.
“Miss, I have a guess,” said one of the representatives.
“Go ahead,” Li Ziling said, trying to suppress her anger towards Long Chen.
“I heard that Jin Luan and Chu Tianxiong have grudges against Long Chen and have been waiting for a chance to take revenge. I think they dressed up in black to tail Long Chen to Fire Thunder Town. After he obtained the Blazing Thunder Crystal Soul, they attacked him and Mo Xiaolang but ended up being killed instead.”
“Yeah, that is probably what happened.” The other representatives came to the same conclusion.
“Long Chen killed two Grand Elders?” Li Ziling’s brows were furrowed, taking a mental note. Long Chen was long gone at this point, so there was no hope for her to get the Blazing Thunder Crystal Soul back.
Long Chen, one day, you will pay a heavy price for your actions, she swore angrily to herself.
***
Sitting on the Savage Wind Peng, it did not take long for the duo to arrive in Baiyang Town from the Fire Thunder Mountain Range.
He did not enter Baiyang Town, but looked at it from afar. When he realized that everything looked peaceful, they both entered the Desolate Mountains and headed straight towards the Desolate Beastlands.
“The last time I was here, it was your clan’s hunting tournament. I can’t believe time passed so quickly. You have achieved so much since then,” remarked Mo Xiaolang.
“You’re still young. Don’t act so old in front of me. It’s nothing huge, progressing from the Draconic Realm to the Heavenly Core Realm. There are many people stronger than me in this world …” Long Chen thought about Li Xuanji, which made him sulk.
“Of course. I am known as a prodigy in Yuanling City, but there are many above me in the Biyang Imperial Capital.” Mo Xiaolang felt helpless.
“What are you worried about? We’ll cross that bridge when we reach it. If you can’t do it alone, I’ll help you when the time comes,” Long Chen said.
“The heart of a master.” That was what Mo Xiaolang concluded from Long Chen’s advice.
Very soon, they entered the Desolate Beastlands. There were countless caves, so they quickly found a place to camp on the outskirts of the Burning Heaven Mountain Range.
“I’ll spend the next few days merging with the Blazing Thunder Crystal Soul!”
1. In Chinese culture, dying without closing one’s eyes is a sign that the person still has strong attachments and did not die willingly/peacefully. ☜
