Unlocking Talent: Time Flaw

Everyone grew incomparably excited, their breathing quickening.

Each of them felt their heads held high and chests puffed out, nearly wanting to throw back their heads and roar!

Lord Lu truly had not let them down!

The stifled rage from being utterly humiliated by the white-robed youth had almost been swept away in this instant.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Amid the ruins, the white-robed youth's face was filled with terror as he coughed up blood in great mouthfuls. That single blow had nearly shattered his body. If not for the life-saving talisman his family head had given him, which he carried at all times and which could withstand a Grandmaster's full-force strike, he would have died long ago.

But even so.

That life-saving talisman had been blown apart by a single slash!

What kind of strength was this?

Lu Chen was at least a late-stage Grandmaster!

Otherwise, he could never have destroyed his life-saving talisman!

Unprecedented terror surged through his heart. The white-robed youth scarcely dared say a word. The moment he broke free from the ruins, he immediately activated a secret art, turning into lightning as he fled madly into the distance once more.

"Lord Lu, he's getting away!"

"Lord Lu, be careful—the Ye Family has colluded with demons..."

Zhou Yun and Wang Yue hurriedly cried out.

But Lu Chen's eyes flashed, and he had already given chase at the first opportunity.

Trying to run?

As if he could get away!

Whoosh!

Ye Yuncheng unleashed every trump card he had. His body was so fast that it was even more terrifying than that of an ordinary Grandmaster. His heart was full of fear, and all color had drained from his face.

Lu Chen had actually reached the Grandmaster realm and made a move against their Ye Family?

How dared he?

Had something happened to the family head?

Had Dugu Wudi successfully refined the Dao Fruit?

But how was that possible?

With so many Heaven Rankings experts gathered there, and the number one on the Heaven Rankings intervening as well, how could Dugu Wudi possibly have refined it successfully?

Right now, all he wanted was to report the news here to the family at any cost.

"Fortunately, after years of painstaking effort, the family has established contact with those demons. Several demon generals are within the family estate. With them acting, they will surely be able to stop this fiend. I must contact the family head as soon as possible..."

Ye Yuncheng was frantic.

Until the family head's life or death was confirmed, the Ye Family would not be safe for a single day.

Seeing Boundless Mountain just ahead, Ye Yuncheng was overjoyed and hurriedly prepared to accelerate.

But just then.

A mocking voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"You do run quite fast. Do you think anyone in your Ye Family can still save you? Even if the Buddha himself came, your entire family will be wiped out today. I said so."

Ye Yuncheng's hair instantly stood on end. Wearing a look of horror and disbelief, he turned around.

Lu Chen had actually appeared behind him long ago?

Clang!

Pfft!

A field of snow-bright blade light filled his vision.

Before Ye Yuncheng could utter a single word, he suddenly exploded, his corpse torn into pieces.

This time, he died completely.

There would be no more accidents.

You killed an executioner who had colluded with demons for years and massacred countless lives. Merit Points +600!

"600?"

That high?

This time, he was going to strike it rich!

If things went well, he might break through three or four minor realms!

The gains were even greater than what the Sword Sect had given him!

After killing the white-robed youth with one slash, Lu Chen stood in midair, his black robe billowing as he suddenly let out a long roar.

The many members of the Pacification Bureau and Six Doors from all directions were all incomparably excited.

At this moment, everyone roared and charged outward.

"Seal off the official roads! No one is allowed through!"

"Six Doors, follow me west!"

"Greenwood Army, mobilize at once! Head east!"

"Pacification Bureau's Mountain-Guarding Camp, head north!"

"Pacification Bureau's Sea-Pacifying Camp, head south..."

"Surround Boundless Mountain..."

From afar, countless shouts rang out one after another.

Everyone who had been lying in ambush in secret was moving at this moment.

The crowd surged like a dark, rolling tide, all of them high-spirited as they encircled Boundless Mountain from every direction.

Lu Chen floated in midair, the corners of his mouth lifting as he looked down at the vast, dark mountain range ahead.

A mountain-protecting grand formation?

Even a mountain-protecting grand formation would not do!

With his Level Three Blade Intent combined with the Seven Styles of Divine Extinction, this formation was as good as nonexistent.

Suddenly, the panel before him stirred again.

Ding! Your actions have indirectly intimidated the Northern Barbarian experts. As the three Northern Barbarian Heaven Rankings experts fled back into the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Kingdom, the formerly rampant Northern Barbarian eastern-front army finally began a full retreat. The Northern Barbarian experts who had infiltrated Great Yu's Jianghu also fled one after another. In your mercy, you have prevented a tremendous war and saved tens of thousands of families. Whether in the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Kingdom or Great Yu, all are thanking you. Your merit is boundless. Merit Points +!

Ding! It has been detected that your illustrious reputation has risen once more, reaching the seventh stage: Mount Tai and the Northern Dipper. Even people of the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Kingdom have begun spreading your name, making you known to everyone in the Northern Barbarian Jianghu. Reward: Talent 'Time Flaw' and divine-grade martial art 'Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art'!

Time Flaw: You have gained an initial grasp of the power of time, allowing the flow of time around you to suddenly speed up or slow down. When time slows, you can unleash hundreds of fatal attacks in an instant!

Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art: A legendary supreme sword-dao art, perhaps inextricably connected to those illusory gods!

The sudden messages entered Lu Chen's ears all at once.

His eyes immediately lit up.

His Merit Points had increased again?

And he had received so many rewards?

What an unexpected delight!

This truly was an unexpected delight!

The newly acquired talent and martial art in particular filled his heart with joy.

Time Flaw involved the profundity of time.

And Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art was actually a divine-grade martial art?

Lu Chen felt countless dense streams of information appear in his mind.

The Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art was divided into three stages.

The first stage, See Mountain, Is Mountain, could slash apart all tangible things. Sword Qi could sweep across heaven and earth; so long as it could be seen with the naked eye, anything could be cut open!

The second stage, See Mountain, Not Mountain, could slash apart all intangible things, such as the seven emotions and six desires, curses, evil spirits, cultivation bottlenecks, karmic connections, and so on.

The third stage, See Mountain, Still Mountain—at this realm, all things could be slashed, including time and space.

"Impressive. This Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art is truly powerful. It can absolutely stand shoulder to shoulder with the Seven Styles of Divine Extinction."

Lu Chen thought to himself.

Especially the third stage!

All things could be slashed!

The scope of that concept was simply too vast.

Ding! Divine-grade martial art Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art detected. Would you like to consume 5,000 Merit Points to raise the first style to perfection?

"Yes!"

Lu Chen answered directly.

With so many Merit Points, who would still bother cultivating?

Ding! 5,000 Merit Points consumed. Your Sword Draw Slay Heavens Art has successfully reached perfection in the first stage, See Mountain, Is Mountain, and can slash apart all tangible things!

Ding! Congratulations, Host. Your Sword Intent has ascended another level, reaching Level Four Sword Intent! To unlock the second style of swordsmanship, you must reach the ninth level of Grandmaster!

Boom!

A powerful, terrifying aura instantly surged forth from Lu Chen's body.

Vast and mighty, it shot straight into the heavens.

It was as though a peerless divine sword, tempered through a thousand hammers and a hundred refinements, had suddenly left its sheath—its edge unmatched, reigning supreme beneath the heavens.

His powerful Sword Intent hissed through the air, startling all directions.

At that moment, almost everyone within dozens of miles felt their bodies turn icy cold, their breathing sting with pain, as though invisible swords were pressed against their throats. Faces changed in shock.

Even the treasured swords in their hands rang and trembled, itching to shoot into the sky, frightening them into hastily holding them down.

Fortunately, Lu Chen quickly withdrew that surge of sword intent.

He let out a soft breath, calm as drifting clouds and gentle wind. Though he no longer radiated that overwhelming sword intent, one could still sense that his entire being seemed somehow different.

"Ye Family, this time, Heaven itself is ending you!"

He charged straight toward the mountain range ahead.

At this moment.

The Ye Family clansmen were still completely unaware of what was happening outside.

Ye Lingxiao, the acting head of the Ye Family, was still using every connection he had to contact Ye Lingyun, the former family head.

At last, Heaven did not disappoint the persistent.

After repeatedly attempting to contact him, a message finally came from Ye Lingyun through the token.

"What?"

Upon learning the news from Ye Lingyun, acting family head Ye Lingxiao's expression changed drastically. He simply could not believe it.

The family head's side had lost?

Dugu Wudi had successfully refined the Dao Fruit and killed Monk Yunkong, ranked first on the Heaven Rankings!

Dugu Wudi was even pursuing them right now?

"How could this happen?"

Acting family head Ye Lingxiao looked horrified.

Dugu Wudi had successfully broken through!

The Ye Family was finished now!

Over the years, only they knew how many times the Ye Family had schemed against Dugu Wudi from the shadows.

With Dugu Wudi's temperament, he was bound to settle all accounts now!

No one would escape!

"Don't panic. We have lured Dugu Wudi toward Profound Saint Mountain, so he has no time to concern himself with you. We will invite that existence out and have him stop Dugu Wudi. Guard the family gates, and absolutely do not let Dugu Wudi's two disciples come charging in..."

The Ye Family head's message continued to come through the token.

Ye Lingxiao's expression shifted repeatedly. Then he suddenly rushed outside and shouted, "Who from the family is outside? Have everyone withdraw at once and return home immediately!"

The many Ye Family clansmen in the square were startled and turned to look at the acting family head.

"Second Brother, Yuncheng just went out. He went to demand compensation from the imperial Pacification Bureau."

A middle-aged man spoke up.

"What? This is bad!"

Ye Lingxiao's expression changed abruptly.

Ye Yuncheng was one of the Ye Family's strongest geniuses!

In terms of talent, he far surpassed even Ye Gubai, who had been killed earlier!

He was someone they had been cultivating as a future pillar of the family, with an eighty-percent chance of entering the Heaven Rankings in the future!

Yet he had gone down the mountain!

"Bring Yuncheng back immediately."

Ye Lingxiao shouted sternly.

"Second Brother, what happened?"

"Yes, Second Brother. Why the rush? Could anyone really dare make a move against Yuncheng?"

"Our Ye Family is the greatest in Eastern Yun Province. Who would dare touch us?"

The crowd spoke one after another.

"Cut the nonsense! Carry out my orders immediately! Find Yuncheng at any cost!"

Ye Lingxiao suddenly let out a long roar, suppressing everyone's voices. "I'm going to find Mr. Hu!"

He turned and left. With a whoosh, he vanished from the spot.

All the Ye Family clansmen were startled. They murmured among themselves, then swiftly began moving, preparing to head down the mountain in search of Ye Yuncheng.

The Ye Family's rear courtyard.

The so-called Mr. Hu was a lean middle-aged man with somewhat sinister features. His face was long, his eyes were phoenix-shaped, and his pupils were pale yellow. He had two thin mustaches above his lips and wore an embroidered robe.

Yet through the sleeves of his robe, one could faintly see—

Mr. Hu's arms were covered in dense yellow fur.

Clearly, this was not a human!

"What are you panicking for?"

Mr. Hu lay on his recliner, rocking back and forth. No emotion could be seen in his pale yellow eyes as he said, "Your Ye Family was, after all, one of the strongest reclusive families of its time. Now that only the family head is absent, is there any need to be so flustered? Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse."

"You don't know the methods of the Breeze Swordmaster. He ranks first on the Earth Rankings, is at the Sixth Level Grandmaster realm, and has mastered Level Three Sword Intent as well as supreme sword techniques. If he makes a forceful move, no one in my Ye Family can stop him."

Ye Lingxiao spoke.

"Sixth Level Grandmaster? And he has mastered Level Three Sword Intent?"

Mr. Hu chuckled softly and said hoarsely, "No wonder you fear him so much. But with this old man here, who could touch even a hair on your heads? Put a hundred hearts at ease."

"That's enough. Those words from Mr. Hu are enough."

Ye Lingxiao let out a light breath and nodded.

"To refine the Beast King's essence blood, we still need at least a thousand more people. You'll have to think of a way to handle that."

Mr. Hu said blandly.

"Don't worry. Once this matter is over, leave it to my Ye Family!"

Ye Lingxiao said.

"Mm."

Rumble!

The moment his words fell, violent tremors suddenly came from overhead. Sun and moon lost their light, heaven and earth shifted, and the entire mountain range began to shake, the ground trembling along with it.

Wave after wave of powerful auras descended directly from the sky like a boiling lake, like countless fine swords piercing down through the air.