Chapter 265 – One Glance, Golden Core Turns to Ash

The scorching sun blazed like fire, golden sands swirling violently.

Outside Yellow Sand Town, the undulating sand dunes had been split open by two deep trenches.

Within these trenches, dismembered limbs and broken bodies of countless Netherworld Alien Race members lay scattered in disarray.

Blood mixed with sand, forming viscous puddles that emitted a thick, metallic scent.

Combined with the mournful wails of the few surviving aliens on either side of the trenches, the scene resembled a living hell.

Five seconds earlier, this three-thousand-strong alien army had been marching with fluttering war banners and soaring morale.

But after five seconds—or more precisely, after Lu Chen’s two Sword Qi strikes—the once formidable alien army had been utterly annihilated.

Only a handful of lucky survivors remained.

These remaining Netherworld Alien Race members stared toward the town walls of Yellow Sand Town, trembling with fear and terror.

Though Lu Chen’s two sword strikes had appeared ordinary—devoid of grand spectacle or extraordinary brilliance—the devastation they wrought was beyond anything they could have imagined.

Monster. This guy is a monster.

Driven by survival instinct, the remaining aliens didn’t even bother helping their fallen comrades. They scrambled to their feet and immediately fled toward the rear.

This scene was identical to what had happened with the scout squad earlier.

Witnessing this, Lu Chen remained completely unmoved, showing no intention of pursuing them.

He stood quietly atop the town walls, waiting for the true alien army to arrive.

[You have killed a Netherworld Alien Race member (Qi Condensation Stage Five). You have gained 500 experience points…]

[You have killed a Netherworld Alien Race member (Qi Condensation Stage Six). You have gained 600 experience points…]

[You have killed a Quicksand Worm (Qi Condensation Stage Two). You have gained 250 experience points…]

Ignoring the Netherworld Alien Race members fleeing in panic on all fours in the distance, Lu Chen focused his attention directly on his game panel.

Dense streams of information scrolled rapidly across his panel like breaking news tickers.

Although these Netherworld Alien Race members had low cultivation levels and individually provided little experience, quantity eventually transformed into quality. With thousands of aliens and their mounts eliminated together, the cumulative experience gained still proved somewhat meaningful.

The harvest couldn’t be called substantial, but it wasn’t negligible either—better than nothing.

Lu Chen didn’t feel particularly disappointed about this.

After all, this was merely an appetizer. What he truly anticipated was the feast to come.

While Lu Chen waited for the main Netherworld army to arrive, the other examinees were experiencing varied situations.

Though Lu Chen appeared completely at ease—slaughtering Netherworld Alien Race members as effortlessly as crushing ants—for most examinees at the Qi Condensation Stage, these coordinated aliens with their peculiar abilities actually posed significant challenges.

Just consider: the five Qi Condensation Stage Netherworld scouts alone had already eliminated approximately one-third of the students.

Among the remaining two-thirds, some—like Lu Chen—had chosen to overcome them through absolute strength.

Mu Xiaoye, Shen Feiyang, Bian Shouyi, and others fell into this category.

More commonly, however, examinees had allowed the Netherworld scouts to enter Yellow Sand Town before eliminating them one by one using environmental advantages, achieving hard-fought victories.

The same examination, different approaches.Although the methods employed differed, the ultimate situation everyone would face was the same.

That was to confront the tens of thousands of Underworld troops head-on.

But unlike most who had planned to avoid battle from the very beginning…

There was someone who not only had no intention of evading this vast Underworld army, but even planned to actively lure them over…

Lu Chen’s examination site, thirty kilometers outside Yellow Sand Town.

Amidst the swirling yellow sand, an alien army numbering a full two hundred thousand was steadily advancing across the desert.

Such an astonishing number meant that even their slow progress caused the surrounding ground to continuously tremble.

Startling insects and animals hidden beneath the quicksand to scatter and flee.

At the center of the Underworld army, a golden-armored, burly Netherworld Alien Race member listened expressionlessly as a scout kneeling nearby reported on the situation ahead.

Upon hearing that their three-thousand-strong squad couldn’t even capture a single Immortal Alliance Cultivator, the golden-armored alien didn’t wait for the scout to finish speaking before suddenly clenching his hand.

The next moment, the Underworld alien’s body seemed to be compressed by some invisible force, instantly exploding into scattered flesh fragments.

The other Underworld generals nearby showed no fear at this sight, instead revealing excited expressions.

They seemed to greatly enjoy such bloody scenes.

After completing this action, the golden-armored alien calmly lowered his hand and declared: “Beat the drums, advance the army.”

Soon after, the entire alien army began moving in full force toward Yellow Sand Town.

Viewed from above, the alien army resembled a black ocean, while Yellow Sand Town appeared as nothing more than a stubborn rock standing in the desert, seemingly ready to be swallowed by this black sea at any moment.

On the town walls of Yellow Sand Town, Lu Chen, who had been meditating, seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.

The next moment, numerous aliens appeared on the distant horizon.

This time, the alien army wasn’t like the previous small-scale skirmishes, but perfectly demonstrated what it meant to cover the mountains and plains.

More crucially, besides cavalry and infantry, this alien army also included aerial cavalry.

These were Netherworld Alien Race members riding dragonfly-like creatures.

Though not numerous – only about three hundred – each of them possessed at least Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation.

Their leader was even an elite alien with False Core level strength.

Seeing this, Lu Chen finally stood up.

After waiting so long, these aliens hadn’t disappointed him.

Lu Chen’s gaze didn’t linger long on the aerial cavalry.

Instead, he looked past the alien army, deep into its ranks.

The next moment, the golden-armored alien in the army headquarters seemed to sense something and turned to look in Lu Chen’s direction.

Upon sensing Lu Chen’s mere ‘Foundation Establishment Perfection’ cultivation, he immediately became interested.

He found it curious that a mere Foundation Establishment Stage Immortal Alliance Cultivator would have the courage to face him directly.

Should this be called bravery, or ignorance?

After all, his own strength was comparable to that of Nascent Soul Stage great cultivators in the Immortal Alliance.

[Underworld Vice Admiral · Huang]

[Cultivation: First Revolution Nascent Soul Stage]

[Description: A battle-hardened general who emerged from the Underworld, having comprehended the Concept of Killing, unifying with the Dao through slaughter, possessing formidable strength.]Huang looked at Lu Chen on the city wall and said indifferently, “Who will bring me the head of this Human Race?”

As soon as these words were spoken, a Golden Core Stage Underworld lieutenant stepped forward voluntarily.

“Sir, leave it to me.”

Huang nodded, acknowledging his words.

Having received Huang’s approval, the Golden Core Stage Underworld lieutenant immediately soared into the air.

Witnessing this scene, the entire Underworld army became excited and restless.

It seemed as if with just one move from that Golden Core Stage Underworld lieutenant, capturing a mere Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator like Lu Chen would be as easy as reaching out for something.

Before long, the Underworld lieutenant arrived not far from Lu Chen.

Looking down at Lu Chen from above, it revealed a cruel smile.

“To die by my hand, consider yourself…”

Before it could finish speaking, Lu Chen raised his head and looked toward it.

That single glance instantly caused the Underworld lieutenant’s words to falter.

It was difficult to describe in words what it felt like to be stared at by Lu Chen at that moment.

The sensation was exactly the same as when it had first encountered Huang.

Fear, powerlessness, despair…

That feeling of an inferior facing a superior once again surged in its heart.

“Annoying noise.”

As soon as Lu Chen’s words fell, the Underworld lieutenant felt its surroundings turn upside down.

Red, vivid red.

In a daze, the Underworld lieutenant even felt as if it had returned to the Underworld.

Back to that place where corpses lay scattered everywhere and a blood moon hung in the sky.

Before it could react, the Underworld lieutenant sensed a terrifying, greedy, bloodthirsty gaze.

With great difficulty, it raised its head and saw that the blood moon above had somehow transformed into a giant vertical eye.

Being stared at by such a bizarre eye, aside from fear, it was unable to make any other movement.

At the same time the Underworld lieutenant froze in place out of fear, a massive black shadow completely enveloped it.

Squelch!

The giant creature swallowed the Underworld lieutenant in one gulp, smacked its lips contentedly, then returned to the blood-red sky and disappeared.

However, all of this was only what the Underworld lieutenant itself saw.

To outsiders, the Underworld lieutenant’s body suddenly shattered into countless pieces mid-air, falling to the ground as scattered flesh.

Silence, deathly silence.

An Underworld lieutenant comparable to an Immortal Alliance Golden Core Stage cultivator had now died so quietly before Lu Chen.

Died without a sound, died without any value.

What was even more frightening was that none of them could discern how Lu Chen had accomplished this.

In an instant, an aura named fear began to spread among all the non-humans.

Even Huang, who had originally been calm and composed as if victory was assured, now stood up in surprise, looking at Lu Chen with a grave expression.

Then, as if having discovered something, he spoke to his subordinates who were still in shock: “It’s a Human Race Grandmaster. Everyone, be careful.”

Upon hearing this, all the non-humans present immediately became solemn.

Grandmaster—this was the title the non-humans had given to Harmony Realm Human Race cultivators when the Immortal Alliance was first established.

Others might not see what Lu Chen had done.

But Huang, with his Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, had noticed the clue.

While it appeared that Lu Chen had killed his lieutenant with just a glance, what had truly killed the Underworld lieutenant wasn’t the gaze itself.

It was the Dao Integration Realm Sword Intent that Lu Chen had released.However, Lu Chen’s control over his Sword Intent seemed to have reached a level of absolute mastery, as effortless as moving his own limbs.

As a result, the Sword Domain appeared only for an instant before vanishing.

If not for the powerful Divine Soul of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, which allows preliminary visual perception of changes in the world,

it might not have been able to discern what Lu Chen had actually done.

Yet Huang couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something.

Because whenever he looked at Lu Chen now, there was an indescribable sense of incongruity.

But what exactly this incongruity was, he couldn’t quite articulate.

It felt as though Lu Chen’s power was fundamentally mismatched with the cultivation level he currently displayed.

As if something unseen was suppressing Lu Chen’s true strength.

Huang’s speculation was correct.

At this moment, Lu Chen was indeed being suppressed.

In reality, Lu Chen’s strength had genuinely reached the Golden Core Stage.

Moreover, it was the unprecedented Twelve-patterned Supreme Quality Golden Core.

But in the simulation exam, Lu Chen was limited to mere Foundation Establishment Perfection.

This wasn’t intentional concealment on his part—the Holographic Helmet simply couldn’t simulate his true cultivation level.

Foundation Establishment Perfection was the maximum the Holographic Helmet could replicate.

Yet the enemies in the simulation exam included not only Golden Core Stage opponents but even Nascent Soul Stage adversaries.

Lu Chen speculated this was because the exam’s enemies were based on actual recorded data with traceable origins.

Whereas the real Lu Chen represented an entirely new entity to the Holographic Helmet.

Below Golden Core Stage, the helmet could still simulate his power.

Beyond that threshold, it became impossible.

This revealed the limitations of the Holographic Helmet—its lack of creative capacity.

But these constraints meant little to Lu Chen.

Though his cultivation was confined to Foundation Establishment Perfection,

his Divine Soul and comprehension of the Dao remained completely unrestrained.

In fact, if he wished, he could even unleash Great Divine Powers of the Transformation Dao Realm with his current cultivation.

The only consequence would be his body instantly disintegrating, forcing him to exit the exam.

Therefore, Lu Chen was waiting—waiting for the Nascent Soul Stage alien to lose patience and reveal an opening, so he could deliver a decisive blow.

After all, he would never pass up such a generous gift as a Nascent Soul Stage opponent.

Until then, he didn’t mind playing along with these foreign tribes for a while.

A Grandmaster? His true identity was that of a Great Divine Power practitioner of the Human Race.

Perhaps sensing the pressure emanating from Lu Chen,

Huang, who had initially intended to toy with Lu Chen for amusement, immediately changed his approach.

Though his cultivation held absolute advantage, facing an unknown Human Race Grandmaster,

it would be wiser to observe carefully first.

Thus, the long-stagnant Underworld army finally began to move.

On the ground, two hundred thousand Underworld troops surged forward like a tsunami, crushing toward Yellow Sand Town where Lu Chen stood.

Seeing this, Lu Chen leaped down from the city wall.

Calmly watching the overwhelming army advancing toward him, he slowly raised his hand.

In the next moment, a condensed, pure Sword Qi gathered once more upon his ordinary longsword.

Boom!

Lu Chen swung his sword, the terrifying Sword Qi once again tearing through the sky toward the alien army.

Witnessing this, the front-line alien warriors raised their shields in unison.

Subsequently, a massive, death-emanating Ethereal Bone Shield materialized before them.

Bang!

The collision between Sword Qi and bone shield sent shockwaves rippling through the air.Among the tens of thousands of foreign warriors forming the bone shield, over a thousand immediately spat blood and collapsed in disarray.

The remaining ones gritted their teeth, continuing to maintain the bone shield as they pressed forward.

It seemed as long as they could get close to Lu Chen, they would have a chance at victory.

In response, Lu Chen raised his hand once more.

If one Sword strike couldn’t resolve them, then another would suffice—wasn’t that right?

(End of Chapter)