Invoking a god.
This was a spell certain Daoist schools used, and it was also widely circulated among the common folk.
Its main purpose was to invite the Orthodox Gods of the heavens to descend into one's body.
But the scene before him was absolutely not an invocation of a god.
Chen Xia stood on the only patch of ground within a hundred meters, watching Tiemuwu float in midair, and asked with a frown.
"Who are you?"
"Tiemuwu" flexed his fists. The golden light spilling from his eyes shone exceptionally brightly. Rather than answer Chen Xia, he said with utter disdain.
"A mortal's body really is feeble. I can only exert this little strength."
The Qi Refining cultivator came flying from afar on Qi, respectfully took his place behind "Tiemuwu," and bowed.
"This sect master of the subordinate sect greets the immortal of the higher sect!"
"You were the one who summoned me?" "Tiemuwu" turned to look at the Qi Refining cultivator, the golden light in his eyes blazing even more fiercely.
The Qi Refining cultivator hurriedly nodded and replied, "I invited you here, Immortal, to eliminate this man and make early preparations for the higher sect's future descent into this world."
Without so much as glancing at Chen Xia, "Tiemuwu" extended a hand toward the Qi Refining cultivator. Radiant light gathered over it as he spoke.
"This world falls under the Fuyao Immortal Sect's jurisdiction, and it's so barren that it doesn't even have a single Golden Core cultivator. Why would you need to summon me down here?!"
"You useless trash! Do you know how much trouble I went to just now to strike up a conversation with the holy maiden? And because of a piece of trash like you, I was forced to descend into this world!"
"Tiemuwu" was steeped in gloom as he said this.
The Qi Refining cultivator trembled with fright, hurriedly cupped his fists, and begged for mercy.
"This lowly one didn't know and disturbed you, Exalted Immortal. I deserve death, I deserve death..."
"You certainly do deserve death."
"Tiemuwu" replied coldly and abruptly clenched his outstretched hand.
The Qi Refining cultivator's body seemed to be crushed, instantly reduced to pulverized flesh as his life departed for the Yellow Springs.
Then "Tiemuwu" turned his gaze toward Chen Xia again. Killing intent flashed in his golden eyes as he looked down at Chen Xia and said coldly.
"You deserve death too. If an ant like you hadn't caused a disturbance, I wouldn't have been forced to descend into this world."
Chen Xia stretched out his arms and replied indifferently, "Then you can just go back right now. Nobody's stopping you."
With a cold expression, "Tiemuwu" demanded, "You ruined my perfect chance to talk to the holy maiden, and now you want me to simply go back? How could things be that convenient?"
"I'll harvest the souls of all you ants and turn them into source essence for my cultivation. Only then can I slightly offset the loss I suffered by descending to the lower realm."
As "Tiemuwu" spoke, he no longer concealed his overflowing killing intent in the slightest. And he intended to kill not just one person, but the entire martial world.
The soldiers on the city wall and the barbarian cavalry were all somewhat panicked now. Judging by how "Tiemuwu" had killed the Qi Refining cultivator, he apparently made no distinction between friend and foe and wanted only slaughter.
And what "Tiemuwu" had just said had indeed frightened them. He actually intended to harvest everyone's souls and turn them into source essence for cultivation.
Chen Xia, however, was not particularly afraid, because this "Tiemuwu" was not that strong.
When cultivators from the upper realm descended into the lower realm, their strength would be greatly weakened.
There were even accounts of top martial artists pummeling immortals who had descended to the lower realm to death.
Chen Xia was a native of this world who had advanced steadily, step by step, so naturally, there was no question of his being weakened.
But the immortal who had descended into Tiemuwu's body was different.
He would be weakened by the will of this world's Heavenly Dao.
So weakened that Chen Xia felt no pressure at all.
If the two really fought to the death, their chances would probably be fifty-fifty.
"Tiemuwu" looked at Chen Xia with his golden eyes. After studying him for a while, he laughed disdainfully.
"Just a Foundation Establishment ant. What gives you the nerve to stand in my way? Even if my strength has been greatly reduced because of my descent, an ant like you still isn't worthy of looking me in the eye."
At this point, "Tiemuwu" grew somewhat impatient. He pointed at Chen Xia and said in an icy tone.
"Die."
He abruptly clenched his hand, revealing a cruel smile, intending to crush Chen Xia to death just as he had killed the Qi Refining cultivator.
Standing on the sole stone pillar in the hundred-meter pit, Chen Xia's eyes flashed with dense flood dragon Qi as he abruptly swung a fist to his right.
Clang!
His fist struck the air, producing the eerie clang of metal colliding.
Then the air there actually began shattering inch by inch, falling like shards of glass.
The watching soldiers and barbarian cavalry were all stunned. They had never seen the power of a Divine Ability like this.
Chen Xia slowly withdrew his fist and replied calmly to "Tiemuwu," who floated in midair.
"Stop bringing out tricks for amusing children. They're boring."
"Tiemuwu's" expression darkened. He relaxed his clenched hand, the golden light in his pupils flickering like burning flames. Bringing two fingers together as though pinching a soybean, he replied.
"You're a relatively large ant, slightly bigger than the others. But ultimately, you can't escape the fact that you're an ant, nor can you escape being crushed by me."
"Tiemuwu" was very confident as he said this. He had come from the upper realm, and his cultivation was profound. In his eyes, these people truly were tiny ants.
"Have you considered the possibility..." The dense flood dragon Qi in Chen Xia's pupils grew fiercer and fiercer, beginning to spread over his body as he continued.
"That every being under these heavens is an ant, including you who descended here, while I..."
A wild, arrogant grin spread across Chen Xia's face. He clenched his fist and struck his own chest, declaring domineeringly.
"Am the biggest one."
An incomparable presence burst from him. He raised his foot slightly, then abruptly stamped down on the stone pillar beneath him.
Flood dragon Qi burrowed madly into the stone pillar, causing it to crack, yet it did not collapse. Instead, it began...
To raise its head.
The stone pillar became a flood dragon, with Chen Xia standing atop its head as it charged to kill "Tiemuwu," who floated in midair.
Today, a man in azure robes rode a dragon to slay an immortal!
"Get the fuck down here!"
Chen Xia roared, clenching his fist tightly and sparing none of his strength as he struck straight at "Tiemuwu."
The punch dragged the air along, drawing a long trail across the sky.
Like a meteor about to fall.
It was about to smash into "Tiemuwu."
And a meteor's might was enough to destroy the world.
"Tiemuwu's" expression turned horrified. His hands instantly formed hand seals, and a golden barrier appeared around his body, covered in three great rings of runes that revolved ceaselessly.
This was a defensive Divine Ability from High Antiquity, capable of blocking fatal injuries.
The hundred-meter stone dragon crashed into it, its body shattering inch by inch, yet it continued battering the golden barrier, seeking to break through and kill him.
The runes on the golden barrier continually resisted the stone dragon's assault, and the first ring of runes vanished along with the dragon.
Two rings remained.
And one punch remained.
The fist fell.
Like a meteor crashing to earth!
The golden barrier began erupting with intense light. Its two remaining rings of runes gathered together, resisting this punch with all their might.
"Tiemuwu" floated inside the golden barrier, his hands forming hand seals as he continually added runes to it.
But it was useless.
True strength could not be stopped.
Crack.
A fracture began to appear in the golden barrier.
And the appearance of the first fracture meant it had already become fragile.
The fist continually wore away the runes.
Cracks appeared endlessly across the golden barrier, densely packed.
At last, it could hold on no longer. As the fist descended, the golden barrier shattered completely, scattering between heaven and earth.
An unstoppable punch descended before "Tiemuwu's" panicked face.
What flew faster than a "meteor"?
The answer was someone struck by a "meteor."
"Tiemuwu" instantly slammed into the ground, smashing hundreds of meters deep without stopping. Only upon reaching a thousand meters did he barely come to a halt, white smoke rising from his entire body, which had already been set aflame by the high-speed friction.
Besides that.
The ground collapsed over three thousand meters.
Nearly thirty thousand barbarian cavalrymen were killed or wounded, and that was despite their early retreat.
Clenching his smoking fist, Chen Xia stood on the air, exhaled, and looked into the pit where "Tiemuwu" had fallen as he said.
"When I throw a punch, I'm serious. When I dig a hole, I'm a professional."
If everyone under these heavens was an ant, then he was the biggest one. Whoever they were, once they came under these heavens, they had to listen to him.
Of course, if someone could tear these heavens apart outright, Chen Xia could also take back what he had just said.
A true hero knew when to bend and when to stand tall.
"Exalted Immortal, stop playing dead. Get the hell out here." Chen Xia called into the hole. He knew "Tiemuwu" was not dead, because he could hear him panting underground.
A short while later.
"Tiemuwu" floated up from underground, blood covering his body. The golden light in his pupils was dim as he looked at Chen Xia gravely.
"You really are the biggest ant, but you're still only an ant."
"That's enough." Chen Xia replied with a smile, "As long as I'm always the biggest one, I'm invincible."
"Impossible!" Tiemuwu shook his head firmly. "Although your talent is considerable and you have some strength, only when you leave these heavens and enter the myriad worlds will you understand how terrifying true heavenly prodigies are."
"Those Ancient Lineages, forgotten breeds, sacred physiques, and divine physiques are simply beyond your ability to resist."
"This little world can't shelter you either. True Great Emperors can tear heaven and earth apart with their bare hands!"
Chen Xia frowned and cautiously asked "Tiemuwu," "Are you a Great Emperor?"
"Tiemuwu" shook his head. "Great Emperors are beings we don't even dare dream of. Their lifespans last an entire epoch, and their power can command the stars and overturn yin and yang!"
"Then do you know a Great Emperor?" Chen Xia asked again.
"Tiemuwu" still shook his head and said with a respectful expression.
"How could I possibly have contact with a Great Emperor? I wouldn't even dare call out a Great Emperor's name."
Chen Xia nodded and smiled at "Tiemuwu." "Then it's fine. I can kill you without worrying."
"Tiemuwu" froze, then hurriedly said, "You don't need to kill me, and you can't kill me either. This is only a wisp of my soul."
"Although your status is lowly, I'm willing to work together with you. We can harvest the living beings of this world together and obtain source essence."
"Afterward, I can take you out of this world to experience the splendors of the myriad worlds and cultivate the Great Dao!"
The corners of Chen Xia's mouth lifted as he asked an unrelated question. "Do I look like a fucking idiot?"
"No." Tiemuwu shook his head, then frowned and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Chen Xia smiled. "Then why are you trying to fool me with lines meant for fucking idiots?"
"No, I'm not lying to you..." Tiemuwu was just about to explain.
Chen Xia drove a fist straight at his head, flood dragon Qi coiling around it as he unleashed all his strength.
A sonic boom erupted on the spot.
"Tiemuwu's" body flew backward a thousand meters and smashed into a hill.
"Hah... hah..."
The golden light in his eyes dissipated, and he still clung to his last breaths.
The stones falling before him shattered. An azure-robed figure appeared, blocking all the light, and smiled at him.
"Hello."
Chen Xia had always been very polite.
"Tiemuwu" gritted his teeth and made one final threat.
"You ant! If you dare destroy my soul, then once you leave this little world, I'll hunt you through the myriad worlds for millions upon millions of years, until I've crushed your soul and barred you from reincarnation!"
"I'm so scared."
Chen Xia replied flatly, then swung his final punch.
That punch shattered his head.
It put a complete end to the exalted immortal and Tiemuwu.