Chapter 213: Probing

“What should we do? Should we go take a look?”

“This Sky Demon’s strength probably hasn’t fully recovered yet. Otherwise, with Hong Luo’s newly attained Martial God realm, he would never have been able to fight the Sky Demon to this extent.”

Xuan Rou stepped forward at this moment, her voice emerging from beneath her mask. The eerie rune on her forehead dimmed, replaced by a surge of terrifying energy rising from her chest.

“Everyone, the Sky Demon is currently at his weakest. Now is the perfect opportunity to slay him. Do not hesitate here.”

“If we wait until the Sky Demon fully recovers his strength, we will all face a bloody calamity.”

“Good! I, Liu’er, think you’re right. Right now, the Sky Demon and Hong Luo are evenly matched in battle. If we join forces, we should be able to suppress him on the spot!”

Upon hearing this, the others were all stirred.

No danger, and the chance to earn a reputation that would last a lifetime—such temptation was truly enticing.

The Martial God Chi Heng, who appeared as an old man, also stepped forward.

“The outside world says we cower and dare not fight. Today, this old man will be bold once and see if that Sky Demon is truly as invincible as he was back then.”

Seeing the Sky Demon perform so weakly, the group all decided to head into the Starry Sky to battle him.

Above the Starry Sky, the four stood frozen in place, looking at each other.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t we agree to fight? Why are you cowering at the edge of the battlefield?”

A man who appeared extremely gaunt spoke up, “This one is merely observing the battle situation.”

Liu’er quickly chimed in, “This Sky Demon is cunning. We’ll provide support from the rear to prevent him from fleeing in defeat.”

The others all gave similar excuses.

The longer one lives, the more one fears death.

Even once-firm Martial Way convictions can slowly erode over time.

Chi Heng used his spiritual perception to sense the battle ahead and said calmly,

“It seems this Sky Demon hasn’t recovered his full strength. If we don’t act now, we may never get another chance like this.”

Xuan Rou also cupped her hands and said, “Everyone, if we attack together, we can surely slay him here!”

Liu’er yawned. “Do as you please. If you attack, I’ll attack.”

Another gaunt, effeminate man rubbed his temples and said, “I am on good terms with Brother Liu’er. If he goes, I will naturally go as well.”

Liu’er glared. “When have I ever been on good terms with you?”

The gaunt man chuckled. “Heh.”

As they pushed and shoved among themselves, the battle ahead was reaching its peak.

Hong Luo shook his head, casting a disappointed glance in their direction.

“A bunch of cowards, afraid of death. Truly, the Martial Way has declined when fools with such heart-nature can cultivate to the Martial God realm.”

“No wonder, no wonder. The Tianyuan Martial Way keeps improving, yet its pinnacle declines day by day. Good thing I didn’t cultivate his Tianyuan Martial Way—they’re all a bunch of cowards!”

Hong Luo felt immensely grateful for his identity as a Body Cultivator.

Ancient Body Cultivator methods not only refined the body but also the soul and the heart.

Only those with great fearlessness and immense perseverance had a chance to achieve true success.

If one harbored ill intentions, they would suffer backlash from the cultivation method, losing all their progress and realm in an instant.

Without a clear Dao Heart, one could not become a Body Cultivator.

Only with unhindered thoughts could one attain the Dao.

His true form infinitely expanding, Hong Luo had no choice but to fight while retreating, lest a casual strike from him shatter Diyuan Star into pieces.

Tianyuan Star.

“Look! It’s Senior Hong Luo the Body Cultivator’s true form! Its appearance is actually half the size of our Tianyuan Star. Truly terrifying!”

Across the starry river, everyone could see Hong Luo’s true form standing tall and unyielding.

That kind of might, with a casual strike causing nebulae to surge and all laws to fall silent.

In City No. 26, Xiao Chunwei, walking at the forefront, looked up at the sky, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth as if lost in thought.

“Senior Xiao, there are rumors that Senior Hong Luo is on good terms with you. Is that true?”

A member of the Righteous Alliance glanced enviously at the true form spanning the starry sky and asked excitedly.

Xiao Chunwei smiled warmly.

“We have had some acquaintance.”

“Wow, then Senior must be as strong as Senior Hong Luo!”

“Axiu, do not be rude. How can we question the strength of our Senior?”

The deputy alliance leader reprimanded.

Xiao Chunwei, however, waved his hand with a smile. “It’s not something to be ashamed of. To be honest, I am slightly inferior to Brother Hong.”

“Senior is too modest. It truly leaves us in awe.”

Xiao Chunwei did not respond, merely smiling as he watched the explosions of laws in the starry sky above.

“It seems we must also strive harder, no?”

With that, he formed hand seals, and strange runes flickered into existence. A great cyan array rose out of thin air.

The Martial Gods who emerged from that era all bore some resemblance to ancient cultivators.

The cyan array ascended into the sky, silently enveloping the entirety of City No. 26.

Outside the city, Jiang Yan’s body trembled slightly as a sense of foreboding enveloped his heart.

The doppelgangers he had dispersed seemed to be disintegrating!

But soon, the Chaotic Void Ancestral Spirit within him stirred, and everything returned to calm.

Xiao Chunwei raised an eyebrow slightly. “Blocked? Interesting. Could it be that those old monsters have discovered it?”

“This is not good…”

“Alliance Leader Xiao, what happened?”

At that moment, Zhang Qianyue, who was following behind, spoke up.

Seeing how courteous and polite Senior Xiao was, Zhang Qianyue deliberately struck up a conversation.

To him, Senior Xiao was righteous and possessed martial virtue. Such an existence had always been Zhang Qianyue’s idol.

Since childhood, he had greatly admired the leader of the Righteous Alliance and later devoted himself to cultivating the Martial Way solely to join the Righteous Alliance.

Unfortunately, many events later befell him, and he no longer had the energy for it.

Xiao Chunwei glanced at this junior, Zhang Qianyue, and still smiled as he said, “It’s nothing. I have already found the hiding place of the Anti-Sect Faction remnants. Everyone, follow me.”

“Yes!”

Jiang Yan lay on a tree, a black flame flickering on his finger, transformed by the Chaotic Void Ancestral Spirit.

“Was it you who just severed the connection between the doppelgangers and that Xiao Chunwei?”

The flame swayed, dancing lightly on his fingertip.

In the silent night, a black shadow fell on Jiang Yan’s face. He remained silent, merely cradling the back of his head as he gazed up at the true form in the starry sky above.

“The Martial God Realm… it is truly so captivating…”

Despite the great distance, he could clearly sense every collision of battle.

“The War Ruins Engraving… the fortieth one.”

Indeed, even from such a distance, Jiang Yan had still absorbed Battle Intent.

If he were closer, Jiang Yan dared not imagine to what extent the War Ruins Engraving would evolve.

Acquired, Innate, Inner Astral, Mystic Aperture, Spirit Platform, True Intent, Source Domain, Celestial Phenomenon, Divine Intent, Supreme Martial God.

“Martial God… Celestial Phenomenon. They are separated by only one Divine Intent, yet the gap is like heaven and earth.”

Jiang Yan now felt confident enough to battle even an Eighth Rank Celestial Phenomenon. But upon witnessing the battles between Martial Gods, he felt that such existences could no longer be described as merely moving mountains and filling seas. Rather…

With one hand covering the heavens, a single thought brings all things into existence, a single movement extinguishes the stars and galaxies!

Witnessing this conquest, Jiang Yan’s chest rumbled, and a certain factor within him stirred faintly. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] sluggishly writhed, as if something even more profound had taken root and sprouted.

Unaware of when it happened, Jiang Yan had fallen so deeply into this state.

But the next moment, a chilling wind brushed past, and Jiang Yan snapped back to reality, his gaze turning toward the direction of Heart Origin City.

His nose twitched slightly, as Spirit Ink spread from his chest, transforming into fierce, chaotic claws that slowly enveloped his entire body.

“What a familiar scent.”