The scene left the Secret Sect disciples horrified.Who could have imagined that Chase possessed such godlike power? Even the strongest among the Secret Sect could not withstand a single strike from him.What kind of monster was this man, and where did he come from?"Kill him!"Suddenly, a furious roar echoed. A crimson war spear pierced the sky, hurtling toward Chase with lightning speed, closing the distance in an instant."Another insect," Chase said coldly.He raised his hand as he caught the spear mid-flight. His fingers clenched tightly.A surge of overwhelming power poured out, and the spear shattered inch by inch, disintegrating into iron fragments before exploding into dust with a boom!A Secret Sect elder staggered backward, coughing up blood. His face was etched with terror as he stared at Chase, his pupils contracting violently.How could anyone be this strong? It was as if a god or demon had descended upon the earth."This is bad—he's far too powerful!""Retreat
Terrifying figures rushed out from all directions.Among them were high-ranking members of the Secret Sect, elders, and even core disciples. Each was consumed by fury, and their killing intent was surging."Scram!"As the powerful forces of the Secret Sect charged toward him, Chase let out a cold shout and flicked his hand.A brilliant arc of light shot forward like a blade, slashing through the crowd.Screams filled the air. Several arrogant martial monarchs were torn to pieces in an instant."Kill him!"One martial monarch roared and unleashed his martial skills with desperate fury.To Chase, however, their techniques were pitifully weak. With a casual reach, he crushed them effortlessly, obliterating their attacks.Chase moved fluidly, darting left and right. In the blink of an eye, three martial monarchs were shattered into pieces, and their remains were strewn across the ground.It all happened so quickly.In just moments, 12 martial monarchs were reduced to nine corpse
"Me?"Chase gave a cold smile and suddenly pressed his hand onto Elias' shoulder. Instantly, a surge of domineering energy condensed like a towering mountain and crushed down violently.The sound of bones shattering filled the air as Elias' entire arm was pulverized. Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, he let out a wretched scream."W-Who are you?!" Elias shouted through gritted teeth, trying desperately to endure the agony while channeling his energy to resist the oppressive force."I'm Chase Collins. Today, I'll cleanse this sect and extinguish it!" Chase replied with an icy and grim expression.He raised his other hand, his palm radiating light as strands of energy coalesced to form a thunderous sword form. Its sharp edge seemed capable of cutting through anything.With a sudden motion, Chase swung the sword.The blade descended like a streak of lightning, moving so fast it resembled a meteor streaking across the sky. In an instant, it sliced through Elias' throat."I won'
"So, this formation is a bit clever," Chase remarked while narrowing his eyes and smirking slightly. "But you lot are nothing more than vermin, hiding in this pitiful place, clinging to life. Today, I'll send you all to your graves!"With those words, Chase extended a finger, unleashing a force so powerful it tore through the void like a pillar supporting the heavens. It then descended with unparalleled might.The grand array trembled violently, rippling with energy. A deafening explosion followed, and the formation shattered completely."What?!"Deep within the Secret Sect, the elders widened their eyes in disbelief as their faces twisted in fury and shock. For generations, this formation had stood firm, unshaken even by martial monarchs. Only the ancestors of the Secret Sect had ever been able to manipulate it. Yet now, a young stranger had obliterated it with ease, injuring many of their members in the process."You're courting death!" a white-robed elder roared, leaping into
Chase glanced at him coldly, then casually struck out with a palm. A purple dragon shadow materialized, transforming into a ferocious dragon-headed handprint that obliterated the man on the spot, leaving nothing behind.Gasps of horror rippled through the crowd.The sheer power of the technique was terrifying, like something out of a nightmare. The remaining onlookers trembled uncontrollably, their hair standing on end.This was supposed to be the Secret Sect's strongest defense, yet it had been destroyed effortlessly. At that moment, they fully understood what kind of monstrous enemy they had provoked."My friend, perhaps we can talk this through," came an aged voice that was calm yet deliberate.An elderly woman emerged from the depths of the Secret Sect. Her hair was white, her frame hunched, and she leaned on a cane, appearing frail and close to the end of her days.Despite her unassuming appearance, her slightly clouded eyes radiated wisdom, as though she could see through t
"Get lost!" Chase shouted coldly, his arm muscles bulging as he swung his hand fiercely. With a single slap, he sent several Secret Sect elders flying with blood spraying through the air.The onlookers were stunned, and their expressions were filled with disbelief.Those elders were supposed to be top experts of the Secret Sect, yet they crumbled like paper dolls under Chase's casual blow. Even their bodies were half-destroyed."How annoying," Chase muttered while furrowing his brow.He had not failed to notice the subtle energy fluctuations in the area as he pursued his targets. It seemed these individuals had planned an ambush, but Chase detected them in advance and used the opportunity to trace them back to the Secret Sect itself."Sir, please follow me. The sect master wishes to speak with you," the old woman said, bowing respectfully."Oh? What does he want?" Chase asked in a skeptical tone as he grew more cautious. Something about the situation felt off, and he suspected th
"Additionally, this Secret Sect Library contains numerous precious texts, including manuals on artifact refinement, alchemy, swordsmanship, and even divine martial arts techniques," the old woman explained slowly. "These are the very foundations that sustain a martial sect's existence."'So, that's it! No wonder the people of the Secret Sect are so eager to target me!' Chase realized.Martial techniques, divine abilities, cultivation methods, treasures—Secret Sect disciples who lacked talent could only choose techniques suited to their abilities, limiting their progress to higher levels of cultivation.Only through great fortune or direct inheritance could one hope to obtain advanced techniques and divine abilities. The Secret Sect was structured around this principle, fully aware of the limitations of their methods."You Secret Sect people are far too greedy, daring to set your sights on me!" Chase's anger surged.The sheer value of these cultivation texts was unimaginable. A sin
Blood sprayed through the air, painting it red. The man let out a pained scream as he staggered backward.However, Chase gave him no chance to escape. With Phantom Nine Steps, Chase closed the gap instantly. Swinging his left hand, he released the Slay Immortal Blade, which arced gracefully through the air.Blood erupted as the blade sliced clean through the man's neck. His head flew into the air, spinning before crashing to the ground.Chase extended his tongue and licked his finger, his cold, indifferent gaze locked on the lifeless body."Did you really think I'd be easy to bully?" he muttered.Without sparing another glance, Chase stepped forward.Along his path, corpses littered the ground—each one belonging to Secret Sect elders or martial masters. They were all killed with a single, decisive strike.Chase moved with ruthless efficiency, and his strikes were swift and lethal. Before long, he reached the vicinity of the library.His piercing gaze seemed to cut through all o
As Clive had gained quite a lot, he decided to let it be. He allowed himself to let go of things. However, that being's consciousness began to open up to Clive, and that was when Clive realized how powerful the being was.It was one against the 12 Primal Treasures, and the universe was its target. It had existed for millions of years. The result of allowing it to take over was Clive losing complete control of his body. It was a projected image that vanished after Chase defeated it.However, Clive's body had been modified by it, and Clive's mind and soul were unable to control his own body. This was what had caused Clive to look like he was in a daze right after the match.Rania then used a mystical technique to transmit her cultivation and combine the powers of both parties. It triggered a lost talent within Clive that merged all of the swordsmanship he cultivated to form an unknown sword form that had never been seen before.Clive felt like he had been revived.He looked at the Ni
Inside the halved corpse, faint outlines of Rania and the coachman's bodies could be seen. They were twisted and contorted.Foul-smelling digestive fluid bubbled and hissed, corroding their bodies.Rania appeared to retain a shred of consciousness. "Cli... Clive... Clive... Help me... Save..."Her voice was faint, tremulous, and laced with sorrow. It stirred pity in the heart.In truth, even before she had spoken, Clive had already detected her presence through his spiritual consciousness. He raised his sword. His face was tormented as if he wanted to put a swift end to things. Yet in the end, he let out a long sigh and released a surge of true essence, pulling both the coachman and Rania from River's corpse.The coachman's cultivation was far too low, and his clothes were made of ordinary fabric. They offered no resistance to the corrosive and toxic digestive acid inside River's body.Half of his body was already unrecognizable, with the bones and internal organs exposed. His b
"Pathetic."The Nine-Sea Giant Squid that River had transformed into spoke with a human voice, then opened its gaping maw and swallowed her whole.The coachman, who had leaped off the horse the moment River transformed, scrambled and sprinted away. He was already dozens of feet out.Just then, a dark blur flashed past, and one of River's tentacles shot forward at incredible speed, snatching him back and devouring him in a single gulp as well."Disgusting. That woman tasted better," he muttered while slithering toward the carriage on his tentacles.Suddenly, an explosion echoed from within his belly, and faint glimmers of light shone through the surface of his body."That woman's protective artifact is so weak. Looks like she wasn't treated well in the Norths, after all."River examined himself carefully and found that it was indeed Rania's protective talisman that had just detonated. Yet his body remained largely unharmed. With some minor healing over ten days to half a month, he
Outside Light Divine City, Rania sat inside a carriage with Clive."Clive, say something, will you? You staying silent like this is really worrying me," she said while wiping the sweat from Clive's forehead and letting out a sigh.As a collateral descendant of the Norths, Rania's life had never been particularly easy. She had thought she had finally snagged a golden opportunity with Clive, only for him to fall into a daze after just one match.What was she supposed to do now?Everyone had witnessed their behavior during the tournament. Though some might look down on them, they would undoubtedly see the two of them as a pair by now.If she abandoned Clive at this point, she would surely be labeled a heartless woman.Just then, the carriage came to a halt. They had only left the city less than an hour ago and were still far from Universal Holy Land. Was someone blocking the road? Rania frowned and lifted the curtain.Sure enough, there was someone standing in the way.She looked c
Even though the match had ended, Lisa still could not fully escape the lingering terror.The slimy, wriggling tentacles covered in suction cups and jagged teeth, stretching out toward her… Such images were seared into her mind. The impact had been too great.Though she was a direct descendant of the dragon clan—an authentic ancient lineage and one of the top races in the entire world—she had been completely overpowered then.Normally, her bloodline would exert natural suppression over most others. However, at the time, she was almost crushed by another.She could not even begin to imagine what kind of race could do that."It tried to eat you?" Walter exclaimed in shock.As a great beast himself, he understood just how powerful the dragon clan's pure bloodline was.Even though the incident with the Lightning Dragon kneeling to Chase had dulled some of the mystique around dragons, it remained undeniable that they were a superior bloodline."For a creature to make a dragon feel lik
"Pfft, what Saints or Saintesses? They're just titles. They don't have any real skills to speak of!""Exactly. These so-called Saints who suddenly emerged probably got their status through shady means. The moment they enter a duel, their real strength shows."Amid the chorus of cheers and congratulations, a few jarring voices remained, and one of them was Rania's. Although she was a social climber herself, hearing the crowd ridicule Clive after his defeat made her deeply uncomfortable."That's not true. Clive is not like that," she repeated again and again. Those were the only words she could manage.Several in the crowd recognized her as the one who accepted a gift from Clive earlier and began to mock her."She's the perfect example of a shallow woman. The moment she accepts a gift, she loses her sense of judgment. It's pathetic.""Right? The truth is right in front of her—Clive is just a big show-off with no real skills. And yet she keeps lying to herself.""Hmph. They really a
Later, a certain senior of the sect discovered a secret technique of the Nefarious Spirits.It was to meditate on the image of a divine beast or an overwhelmingly powerful immortal being the embodiment of one's soul. As the level of visualization deepened, one's spiritual soul strength would grow accordingly.This method of cultivating Nefarious Spirits was a hybrid of corpse refining and body cultivation.However, while corpse and body cultivation focused on physical bodies, Nefarious Spirits cultivation trained the intangible—the spiritual consciousness and the mind and soul.After this discovery, they even improved the methods of refining corpses and bodies using it.When refining the body, practitioners would visualize fierce beasts like bears or wolves or celestial warriors, generals, and even gods. The subjects of their visualizations would match with their nature and temperament, making them their own Nefarious Spirits.Fallon's Nefarious Spirit was an ancient giant ape. It
As for Fallon and Carla on the high platform, they clearly sensed that the ominous gaze from above had lessened significantly.Clive, who was facing Chase directly, also felt that his seemingly unstoppable sword strike had suddenly stalled in front of Chase. It could not push forward any further. This shocked him greatly.After all, even when sparring with his own master, he had never encountered this sensation. His master had even praised him for his good fortune after obtaining a peerless sword and for mastering a sword technique unparalleled in this generation. If not for the looming limit of his life span and the need to break through to gain more years, his master would have wanted to cultivate that technique himself.This sword strike, which Clive considered to be the culmination of all his understanding of the sword path, was the most perfect attack he had ever executed since beginning his cultivation journey.Even so, this nameless opponent had forced it back with a single
Tania once attended celebratory events held by other sects, only to encounter top-tier demonic beasts on the road. A brutal battle left her covered in wounds, and she missed the celebration entirely, offending the host.At that time, her master's resentment had already reached its peak.That thousand-year-old wolf demon became the last straw that broke the camel's back.Her master unleashed Emerald Lake Holy Land's most powerful technique—Radiance of Emerald, Eternal Slumber.Heaven and earth changed color the moment it was unleashed. The thousand-year wolf demon gathered all of its cultivation but still could not withstand the strike. It was reduced to ashes in an instant.Tania once thought that the gap between her and her master was not too wide and that she would rightfully inherit the mantle of leadership over Emerald Lake Holy Land within a century.Yet after witnessing that attack, she realized how wrong she had been. From then on, she started training harder and more dilig