Chapter 194. Crushing Three Prodigies, The Might of the Innate Spirit

A wave of killing intent surged toward him. It was so dense that it felt tangible, and it was also accompanied by a wave of pressure.

Lu Yuan also noticed that the space itself in all cardinal directions was locked down. It seemed they had created a barrier that ensured he wouldn't be able to escape.

"Human Lu Yuan!" A thunderous roar split the air in the next instant, and it was accompanied by the loud rumbling of thunder. Then, three figures burst forward from nearby, and the ground shook beneath them as they moved.

Each one radiated a power formidable enough to make the air tremble.

Lei Xuan, the Tenth Ranker of the Celestial Race, stood at the forefront. Flanking him were the Rankers of the Three-Headed Ghost Race and the Primeval Daemon Race. They were far stronger than the other clansmen who had descended alongside them, and the power within them churned like raging tidal waves.

Once unleashed, it'd be an absolutely terrifying sight to behold. Nothing could withstand their power. If it weren't for their supreme might, they wouldn't obtain the title of a Ranker.

It had to be known that these three were from the top hundred clans among the starfields. To stand out among such peers was no small feat. Who could possibly look down on them?

Lu Yuan remained where he stood, staring at them with cold eyes. His gaze fell on the three Rankers without fear, and his expression did not change even in the slightest.

He had long anticipated their arrival; he knew it was only a matter of time until he had to confront them.

"Human Lu Yuan, we know you obtained the fortune and legacy left behind by Immortal Guang Chengzi. If you surrender it to us, we can let you leave this place safely," Lei Xuan said, hovering in midair. His wings of wind and lightning beat steadily.

The aura emanating from him was terrifying. He was extremely powerful. In fact, the Winged Celestial God wasn't even in the same league as him, and the gap between them was simply uncrossable.

The Three-Headed Ghost Ranker and the Primeval Daemon Ranker stood ready. A prodigy among the top hundred clans could fight those stronger than them thanks to their exceptional talent and bloodline strength.

In other words, their pedigree granted them the power of a true elite. The difference in combat power between them and their ordinary peers was staggering. Otherwise, how could they be called Rankers?

"

Oh?

"

Lu Yuan listened from below. He did not seem bothered. A smile slowly spread across his face as he looked up at them.

"And if I refuse?"

"We've laid down an inescapable net just for you. Even if you somehow sprout a pair of wings, there's no way you can escape. And the legacy of an Immortal is not for you to enjoy by yourself. I suggest you hand it over and put an end to all this."

The other two Rankers spoke up. Their gazes were sharp, and their words dripped with condescension. Their desire to obtain an Immortal's boon was genuine, but as for letting Lu Yuan go, that was merely empty talk.

In their eyes, Lu Yuan was a dead man walking.

Lu Yuan knew that, too. He knew their promises were hollow, so he wasted no more words and prepared for battle. Facing the three of them, he took a single step forward and calmly said, "I guess I have to start killing again."

Overwhelming power erupted from him, and his golden vital qi burst out in a violent deluge. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the pressure of his golden vital qi alone.

"Since you insist on seeking death, then be our guest," said Lei Xuan with narrowed eyes. He raised his right hand and beat his wings, seizing a bolt of lightning out of midair.

Boom!

A violent explosion occurred as he hurled it straight at Lu Yuan.

In the face of the thick killing intent and lightning bolt, Lu Yuan stepped forward and raised his own palm up.

Moments later, the firmament roared as a lightning bolt several meters in diameter materialized and descended as if the god of lightning himself had decided to mete out punishment.

The Jade Emperor's Divine Thunder Art!

Boom!

The Celestial Race possessed an innate talent for controlling wind and lightning, but when Lu Yuan's lightning bolt appeared, Lei Xuan's expression changed. His wings beat furiously in response, and countless arcs of electricity wrapped around him.

He decided to resist the attack instead of dodging it.

BOOM!

A powerful explosion sent tremors across the ground, causing it to crumble. Moments later, a figure shot out from within the glaring light. It was Lei Xuan, and he was scorched black in several places. He looked utterly disheveled.

In that single exchange, he had come out the worse for wear.

The Three-Headed Ghost Ranker and the Primeval Daemon Ranker furrowed their brows at the sight. Then, they stepped forward in unison, unleashing their respective techniques with full force.

A dazzling light erupted, followed by a dense black fog. The two intertwined in midair, blotting out the skies as their chaotic energy swept across the battlefield.

Lei Xuan did not hesitate. He rushed forward as lightning erupted from him.

He was deeply shaken by the first exchange. He finally understood that he couldn't defeat Lu Yuan by himself. Despite being the Tenth Ranker, he suffered a clear disadvantage against Lu Yuan, and the humiliation made his killing intent burn even fiercer than ever.

The earth trembled, and the air roared. Waves of destructive energy billowed out, creating a terrifying sight to behold. Lu Yuan was engulfed, vanishing from sight within the storm.

"Attack him together! Let's see how he's going to resist us!" Lei Xuan bellowed, his figure engulfed in arcs of lightning. He refused to believe that the combined might of three Rankers couldn't suppress a single human being.

BOOM!

The instant his words fell, a violent explosion erupted from within the storm. Waves of golden vital qi surged forward, sweeping across the battlefield. At the same time, a sun manifested in the air, and its searing heat warped the air itself.

"Rankers? How mediocre." Lu Yuan's calm and composed voice rang out from the midst of the chaos. Moments later, an even more terrifying power billowed out of him. Facing the three Rankers, he made no elaborate movements and simply threw a punch.

However, the punch carried with it an unstoppable momentum as it flew.

BOOM!

The earth split apart and caved in upon impact. Lei Xuan and the other two Rankers could only resist for a moment before being blasted away by the mere shockwaves of the fist.

A loud

thud

echoed as they crashed into the ground.

However, Lu Yuan wasn't done yet. He stepped forward with a cold gaze, and the energy inside him churned, becoming even more powerful by the second. Behind him, the Great Sun's Furnace erupted with an even more searing light.

The surrounding temperatures climbed so high that the stones gave off a red sheen, threatening to melt into lava.

"He's too strong! Don't hold back, or we're all going to die!" Lei Xuan roared with alarm. He knew he could not retreat, or the consequences would be unthinkable for his race.

Without hesitation, he produced the God Basher. Arcs of electricity coiled around it, and it radiated an ominous power. It did not target the body. Instead, it targeted the most vulnerable aspect of any living being—the soul.

The Primeval Daemon Ranker did not hesitate either. A small silver sword appeared in his hand, which emanated sharp, biting wisps of sword intent.

The two swiftly channeled their power into the divine weapons before attacking once more.

These three prodigies were extraordinary individuals indeed. They had sealed the surrounding space and attacked with weapons capable of targeting both the soul and the body.

God Basher and the silver sword transformed into streaks of light, arriving before Lu Yuan in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yuan's physique and his soul issued warnings of danger. Clearly, the oncoming weapons were powerful trump cards of the two.

However, Lu Yuan showed no fear whatsoever. He extended his hand and caught the silver sword between just two of his fingers. Having fused with the Great Sun's Flame Divine Furnace and the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda, his physique reached a terrifying level a long time ago.

Anyone hoping to threaten him through physical means would find it a bleak endeavor.

Meanwhile, God Basher vanished into thin air. When it reappeared, it was already inside Lu Yuan's sea of consciousness, and it got ready to strike at his soul.

Just then, the golden figure seated beneath the Bodhi Tree opened its eyes. Wisps of purple qi emanated from it. It seemed to transform into the Celestial Emperor himself, demanding obedience from all myriad beings.

It extended its hand to stop the oncoming attack.

CRACK!

The Bodhi Tree trembled as the Innate Spirit crushed the hammer into pieces with its bare hands. Lu Yuan's soul was even mightier than his physique. Upon making a move, it showcased might that could instill fear in just about anyone.

Outside, Lu Yuan did not stand idly by. His organs let out resonant

hums,

and the Great Sun's Furnace shuddered. He seized the silver sword in his hand. Then, he faced the three Rankers and threw another punch.

It took quite a while to describe, but all of this occurred in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

A powerful explosion drowned out all the other noises. The three Rankers, Lei Xuan included, suffered grievous injuries. Cracks spread across their bodies as droplets of blood flowed from their wounds. Horror filled their eyes as well.

Lu Yuan had crushed them once again.

"His physique being powerful is one thing, but why is his soul so terrifying as well?"

"He's too strong for us! We can't kill him. We have to run!"

"Yeah. Fortunately, we still have the Tri-Head Firmament-Sealing Array. It should buy us some time."

Their attacks had failed, and Lu Yuan had destroyed them all with just a single punch. The blow had shattered their confidence alongside their fleshly bodies.

In an instant, they reached a grim conclusion—none of them could defeat Lu Yuan. If they were to keep fighting him, they would die today.

Run!

All three had the same thought. They were prodigies worthy of their titles. Even after sustaining heavy injuries, they could still fight. If they were just ordinary figures, Lu Yuan's punch would have obliterated them.

Swoosh!

The three transformed into streaks of light, disappearing a hundred meters away in the blink of an eye as they raced toward the secret realm's exit.

Lu Yuan's face remained unchanged. He took a step forward and soared into the sky.

A barrier materialized before him almost immediately. The array giving off a mysterious power had sealed off all cardinal directions, blocking his path.

"Annoying," he said calmly. With a resonant

hum,

the Great Luo Sword Embryo appeared, and a stream of sword intent rushed out of the blade.

Lu Yuan gripped the Sword Embryo and slashed at the barrier.

Clang, clang, clang!

Dazzling sword lights erupted, and they tore apart the formidable Tri-Head Firmament Sealing Array in no time. The surrounding space regained its freedom, no longer bound.

Lu Yuan put away the Sword Embryo and gazed toward where the three prodigies had fled with narrowed eyes.

Today, he was going to kill them all!

With a mere thought on his end, he shot forward, shattering the sound barrier.

The fleeing trio were still Rankers, so they moved quickly. They had already vanished from sight, but this posed no obstacle to Lu Yuan. His vision pierced the fabric of space itself, revealing their tracks as clearly as daylight.

He could track them down easily so long as they were not too far away.

On the other side of the secret realm, Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and Chunyang were busy training. They and the others had improved by leaps and bounds. They were heading toward the exit; they planned to wait there for Lu Yuan.

Soon, they all sensed powerful but chaotic auras coming their way.

They looked up at once.

"The Rankers of the three races? Why are they here? Are they here for us?" Ice Fairy gazed into the distance and spotted Lei Xuan and the other two. Her face went pale. No one present was their match, so if they were to attack...

"No, wait!" Zhu Qingyu was also staring into the distance. After staring at them for a moment, astonishment colored her voice. "They look disheveled, and they're injured. It doesn't seem like they're coming for us. In fact, it looks like they're... fleeing?"