Chapter 1664: Come and Hit Me If You Dare
Fang Lingqian trembled with rage, the acupoints on his body emitting dazzling light as he tried to break free from Xiang Chunan's grasp.
Xiang Chunan's palm was as huge as a house, radiating intense demonic light. With a simple grab, it sealed the sacred qi within Fang Lingqian's body and restrained his sacred dao rules. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape.
"Crack, crack."
The bones inside Fang Lingqian's body exploded, and he couldn't help but let out agonized screams.
Yang Xu trembled in fear, his legs weak.
In the Heavenly Orbit Realm, Fang Lingqian was a renowned war god. Many old-timers who had lived for thousands of years were wary of him. Yet, such a figure was effortlessly captured by a dark, burly man, who could kill him as easily as slaughtering a chicken or a dog.
The dozen or so beings who had come with Yang Xu finally realized that these two were no ordinary individuals. They were definitely not nameless nobodies and likely came from a top-tier powerful realm.
However, as members of the Heavenly Realm Faction, they feared nothing.
The four-winged angel from the Heavenly Realm showed a cold, angry expression and said, "Which realm do you two cultivators come from?"
Xiang Chunan puffed out his chest and said, "Your Grandpa Xiang doesn't come from any realm."
To the four-winged angel, Xiang Chunan's refusal to name his origin was a sign of fear. He said, "No matter which realm you come from, I, the king, advise you to release Fang Lingqian immediately, kneel and admit your mistake, and offer half of your sacred soul. That is your only way to survive today!"
Fang Lingqian was in immense pain, his mental will growing hazy. He said in a trembling voice, "Brother Nanjin... don't waste words with him... just refine this dark bastard into a sacred slave... ah..."
The four-winged angel named Nanjin Wang sensed that Fang Lingqian was about to collapse. If he delayed any longer, the dark, burly man might actually crush him to death.
Nanjin Wang wasn't confident he could defeat Xiang Chunan, so he said, "Attack together. First, suppress that dark, burly man. I will take full responsibility for any consequences."
All the members of the Heavenly Realm Faction who had come to support Yang Xu were Saint Kings. They took out their Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts and activated their full power, but they didn't dare to unleash them all at once, fearing they might accidentally kill Fang Lingqian.
Nanjin Wang pulled out a golden sacred whip and instantly activated its three-radiance full power.
Xiang Chunan's other hand shot out first, grabbing the golden whip before it could strike. The demonic, qi-filled palm enveloped it.
Nanjin Wang was shocked and quickly activated the talismans on his body, trying to block the demonic hand to avoid suffering the same fate as Fang Lingqian.
"Bang, bang."
The talismans shattered one after another, unable to stop the demonic hand.
"Attack him now!"
Nanjin Wang roared, placing his hope in the other Saint Kings. If they launched their attacks, they could at least distract the dark, burly man. Only then could he hope to escape.
Zhang Ruochen stopped his cultivation and threw out the eighteen formation flags, planting them into the ground.
The flags fluttered in the wind, releasing blazing firelight like eighteen divine fire torches burning. They blocked all the Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts launched by the dozen or so Saint Kings.
Then, Zhang Ruochen calmly stepped into the space maze formation, used Space Distortion to collect their Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts, and refined the aura on them with Purifying Divine Flame.
"Damn it, I've lost contact with the Burial Phoenix Bell."
"The Celestial Mechanism Plate... he took it!"
The dozen or so Saint Kings stared in shock at the human scholar, then at their empty hands. They quickly retreated.
Because of the eighteen formation flags blocking their perception, they hadn't sensed any spatial fluctuations. They only felt that Zhang Ruochen's sacred art was too bizarre, and no one dared to use any more sacred artifacts.
"Clang, thud."
Like discarded scrap metal, Zhang Ruochen threw the dozen or so Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts onto the ground, forming a small pile.
On the other side, Xiang Chunan held Fang Lingqian in one hand and Nanjin Wang in the other, squeezing them until they were covered in blood and screaming. He didn't stop until their bones protruded from their flesh.
He threw them to the ground, patted his bloody hands, and said with lingering anger, "Pathetic pieces of trash like you dare to make your Grandpa Xiang kneel and admit fault? Pah!"
In the distance, the Saint Kings of the Heavenly Realm Faction were furious.
If Fang Lingqian and Nanjin Wang were pathetic, what did that make them? This dark, burly man was far too arrogant!
Xiang Chunan glared at them and said, "What are you looking at? I'm not just targeting those two—I'm talking about all of you. Pathetic, every single one of you. Come on, if you've got the guts, come and hit me!"
No one dared to step forward. The dark, burly man was freakishly strong, easily able to toy with Fang Lingqian and Nanjin Wang. Dealing with them would be even easier.
Nearby, cultivators from various realms were watching. Initially, they thought Xiang Chunan and Zhang Ruochen were in for big trouble.
But now, the outcome left them stunned and speechless.
"That dark, burly man is incredibly powerful. Even some leaders of major worlds might not be his match."
"That human scholar is also strong. With a wave of his hand, he took over a dozen Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts. His methods are extraordinary."
"Someone actually dares to challenge the Heavenly Realm Faction? Unbelievable. Could they be members of some ruling world faction?"
"Even if they aren't, they must be from one of the top hundred major worlds. Otherwise, they're just asking for death."
...
A Divine Inheritance Disciple wearing a crane-and-blue-sky robe arrived with several First-Class Disciples in qilin-and-azure-cloud robes.
The Divine Inheritance Disciple was tall and thin, with eight golden flood dragons coiled around his waist. His aura was immense, far surpassing Fang Lingqian and Nanjin Wang.
This person was Yu Wenjing.
Back when Zhang Ruochen attacked the Moon God's Dao Field and captured a large number of evil cultivators from the Yin-Yang Hall, Yu Wenjing, as a cultivator from the Yin-Yang Realm, had come to threaten and warn Zhang Ruochen.
That was why Zhang Ruochen remembered this Divine Inheritance Disciple quite well.
Seeing Yu Wenjing arrive, Yang Xu and the cultivators of the Heavenly Realm Faction were overjoyed. A female Saint King at the Third Step Saint King realm stepped forward and whispered to Yu Wenjing.
Yu Wenjing's expression grew darker and darker, and he nodded.
Then, he spoke with Yang Xu, asking more questions.
The surrounding cultivators, seeing that the arriving Divine Inheritance Disciple was Yu Wenjing, immediately knew that the dark, burly man and the human scholar were in for a rough time.
Although the Yin-Yang Realm wasn't a member of the Heavenly Realm Faction, the two sides had always maintained good relations. How could Yu Wenjing not take their side?
As expected, Yu Wenjing only listened to the Heavenly Realm Faction's side and immediately ordered, "Arrest these two troublemakers who disrupted the Free Trade Zone. If they resist, kill them without mercy."
Two First-Class Disciples, holding Saint-Binding Chains, charged forward.
"Your Grandpa Xiang did nothing wrong. Whoever dares to arrest me, I'll kill them!"
Xiang Chunan's anger flared even more. He clenched his fists, ready to punch them all to pieces.
But Zhang Ruochen stopped him, knowing that if Xiang Chunan actually killed a Truth Temple disciple, the consequences would be severe. Now was not the time to act impulsively.
Feng Yan also arrived with several First-Class Disciples and shouted from a distance, "Fall back first."
The two First-Class Disciples heading toward Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan stopped immediately upon hearing Feng Yan's voice. They hesitated, looking at Yu Wenjing.
Yu Wenjing frowned. Although Feng Yan was only a First-Class Disciple, his status and position were higher than some Divine Inheritance Disciples. He was someone who absolutely could not be offended.
Yu Wenjing said, "Junior Brother Feng, what do you mean by this?"
Facing the imposing Yu Wenjing, Feng Yan remained calm and composed, saying with a smile, "Senior Brother Yu, why are you arresting these two?"
Yu Wenjing snorted coldly. "First, they injured Yang Xu of the Heavenly Orbit Realm and robbed him of his treasures. Just now, they severely wounded Fang Lingqian and Nanjin Wang, disrupting the order of the Free Trade Zone. They are arrogant and lawless, showing no regard for the rules set by the Truth Temple. Shouldn't they be arrested?"
Feng Yan smiled. "But the information I received says otherwise. I heard that Yang Xu of the Heavenly Orbit Realm first tried to deceive that cultivator named Xiang with a sacred medicine he picked from outside. In his anger, that cultivator gave him a squeeze and quickly let him go. As for Yang Xu's treasures, they weren't stolen—he abandoned them himself."
Yu Wenjing could tell that Feng Yan was clearly trying to clear the two cultivators. Could they have some extraordinary relationship with Feng Yan?
Yang Xu was furious and said, "What do you mean by 'a squeeze'? You make it sound so trivial. That one squeeze broke three of my bones..."
"Shut up!"
Yu Wenjing glared at Yang Xu and then said, "Junior Brother Feng, do you have evidence for what you're saying?"
"I don't have evidence, but I do have a witness."
Feng Yan waved his sleeve, and a First-Class Disciple brought over the Eight-Armed Spider King.
The Eight-Armed Spider King looked grim, as if he had lost a loved one. He wanted nothing to do with today's events and dared not offend the Heavenly Realm Faction, so he had stayed far away.
But he also didn't dare to offend Feng Yan.
So when Feng Yan sent someone to find him, he had no choice but to come.
Feng Yan patted the Eight-Armed Spider King on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Tell everyone what you saw and heard. Be honest. If even half a word is false, you'll be struck by lightning from the heavens!"
The Eight-Armed Spider King's body trembled slightly, and then he began to recount the events.
After he finished, not only Yu Wenjing but also the Saint Kings of the Heavenly Realm Faction glared at Yang Xu with gritted teeth. Clearly, they had been deceived.
Yang Xu's face turned deathly pale, and his vision went black as he fainted on the spot.
As a Saint King, Yang Xu couldn't have fainted on his own. It was Yu Wenjing who had used a hidden force to knock him unconscious.
Yang Xu clearly wasn't made of tough stuff and was no match for Feng Yan. A few words from Feng Yan could have shaken him into saying things he shouldn't.
Only by knocking him unconscious could Yu Wenjing feel at ease.
Knowing Feng Yan's background, Yu Wenjing didn't want to offend him, so he said, "Since both sides are at fault, why not let them reconcile?"
"Senior Brother Yu's suggestion is exactly what I had in mind." Feng Yan smiled.