Because Absolute Defense completely sealed off the explosion within, not a trace of the Eighth-and-a-Half-Level Fixed Soul-Conducting Bomb's blast waves reached the outside. All its explosive force had been compressed into that tiny space.
This caused the explosion from this mere Eighth-and-a-Half-Level Fixed Soul-Conducting Bomb to possess power comparable to that of a normal Ninth-Level Fixed Soul-Conducting Bomb.
Xu Tianran stared fixedly at the situation inside Absolute Defense. As the light within gradually faded, his heart rose to his throat.
Although he knew it was unlikely Xu Tianchen could survive such a massive explosion, for some reason, he felt no relief from it. Unease still lingered in his heart.
And as the light inside Absolute Defense gradually dispersed, Xu Tianran's unease proved to be real.
Xu Tianchen stood unharmed where he was. Even his clothing was undamaged; only a few strands of hair at his temples had been thrown into slight disorder. Protecting him from the explosion was a thin purplish-gold membrane of light that enveloped his entire body.
And that thin membrane had come from a purplish-gold scale floating before Xu Tianchen's chest!
This was the only defensive divine artifact Xu Tianchen possessed. At the instant the Fixed-Mount Soul Guidance Bomb was about to explode, he had first refused Bi Ji's request to come out and help, then activated the Dragon-Scale Divine Artifact that had long been nourished by his Trunk Soul Bone with a thought.
The moment the Dragon-Scale Divine Artifact emerged, a thin layer of light, seemingly no sturdier than paper, covered Xu Tianchen's body.
Xue Chen, who had long since been flung aside by Xu Tianchen, saw the Dragon-Scale Divine Artifact before Xu Tianchen's chest and knew that Xu Tianran's hopes had been completely dashed. Thus, he closed his eyes.
Your Highness, this old servant will