157: Mu Xingyan

Zhang Sheng gazed intently; that "red sun" was no other object, but remarkably a Cultivator.

While the green figures chasing relentlessly behind him were similarly Cultivators with powerful auras... High in the sky,

A cold shout exploded from within the green shadows:

"Azure Wood Arrow Rain!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At the horizon, dense shrieks tore through the air, hurtling forward—it was a rain of green arrows that blotted out the light of the sky!

The Wood Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth suddenly rioted.

The rain of arrows covered the sky and earth, shaped like a giant canopy, completely enveloping the "red sun" ahead!

This was precisely the signature large-scale offensive Spell of the Qinglan Army!

Inside the red sun, rich Fire Spiritual Qi churned, wrapping around a tall Cultivator dressed in a flaming red robe.

Beneath thick eyebrows, a pair of golden-brown eyes were bloodshot. Crimson long hair was scattered wildly.

His bronze skin was covered in wounds, and that flaming red robe was torn in many places, stained with mottled bloodstains; clearly, his injuries were extremely severe!

"To think that I, Mu Xingyan, would actually perish in this New Prefecture! Is it the time? Or is it fate!"

Mu Xingyan suddenly turned around, facing the pouring rain of destructive arrows, as the fire-attribute Spiritual Qi around him boomed and boiled.

"Come on!"

With a violent roar, endless crimson flames erupted from within his body, instantly condensing in his left palm and transforming into an incomparably blazing miniature red sun!

The red sun whistled, boldly crashing into the sky-filling rain of arrows.

Centered on him, the Azure Wood arrows within a radius of dozens of miles were like snow meeting fire, melting and burning one after another, stirring up circles of eerie black flames like ink ripples!

This was precisely the top-tier offensive Divine Ability he had reached an Epiphany in through bloodshed on the God-Connecting Battlefield years ago—

"Fiery Sun Incinerating the Heavens!"

Relying on this Divine Ability, he had defeated countless Prodigies on that cruel God-Connecting Battlefield, forging an illustrious reputation.

However,

Aside from the Azure Wood Arrow Rain destroyed by the Fiery Sun, the remaining rain of arrows continued to shoot downward!

It looked as if it was about to hit Zhang Sheng!

Su Tang lightly raised her fair hand, and a sky-blue light screen appeared out of thin air, spanning beneath the firmament!

At the same time, Zhang Sheng's thoughts moved like lightning, and eighty-one layers of Profound Light Shields instantly protected his body in stacks.

The arrow rain struck the blue light screen, stirring up bursts of ripples like heavy rain hitting a lake surface, yet it failed to shake the light screen in the slightest.

Zhang Sheng turned his head to look, only to see Su Tang's lips slightly curved, hiding a faint smile of approval:

"Prefect Zhang, I originally only felt your Foundation was matchlessly robust, but I didn't expect your Spell attainment to be so profound as well. This level of defensive technique, even if it hasn't reached the Perfected State, is likely not far off!"

"Your future is truly limitless!"

Zhang Sheng was slightly startled; she actually knew of the "Perfected State"?

But then he thought of this being the Upper Realm and felt relieved. Only, her last phrase "limitless future"... what was her intent?

"I am deeply grateful for Shopkeeper Su's assistance," he suppressed his doubts and cupped his hands to ask, "I wonder who those people fighting in the sky are?"

"No need for such courtesy. With the defensive technique you displayed, taking this arrow head-on would at most leave you heavily injured." Su Tang covered her lips and chuckled lightly,

He then raised his finger and pointed.，“Do you see those people wearing green-patterned black robes?？Those were the elite troops directly under the command of Qinglan County.——Qinglan Guard，You absolutely must not mess with them.，Most of them were experts at the Divine Power Realm.！”

"As for the red-haired person they are hunting, he should be a fugitive burdened with heavy crimes."

Zhang Sheng's heart shivered.

Was this Upper Realm truly so dangerous and chaotic?

In the future, he must be doubly careful! Su Tang could so easily block that terrifying arrow rain; her cultivation was at least at the Divine Power Realm.

He only hoped that the major criminal would be executed quickly so no more complications would arise... "Mu Xingyan! You were once a generation's Prodigy, why persist in your obsession?" the leading Cultivator in the green-patterned black robe shouted sternly,

"The Crown Prince has ordered! As long as you are willing to submit and leave the Crimson Sun Dao Academy, your past sins will all be forgiven!"

"Laughable!"

"Song Hao,"

Mu Xingyan's voice was bone-chillingly cold, and his eyes held the flames of resolution,

"Put away that hypocritical face of yours! I, Mu Xingyan, am a person of the Crimson Sun Dao Academy for a day, and I shall be for life!

Do you think everyone is like you lot, willing to be the Crown Prince's lapdogs?" His gaze was like a blade, sharply scanning the front.

"Hmph! Obstinate!" Song Hao's face darkened as he snorted in anger,

"Form the formation!"

Dozens of Cultivators in tree-patterned black robes moved in response, each taking out an ancient Formation Plate.

Everyone's hands rapidly formed seals,

In an instant, giant Spiritual Qi pythons, emerald green all over and permeating with poisonous mist, hissed as they crawled out from the Formation Plates!

The pythons tumbled and roamed high in the sky, instantly weaving into a massive spherical serpent domain, locking Mu Xingyan firmly inside!

"Heh, to deal with me, you even used the Azure Wood Mysterious Serpent Formation? You really think highly of me, Mu Xingyan!" Mu Xingyan looked around, his voice carrying a bone-deep sorrow.

The scene of the academy being bathed in blood tore through his mind again—his teacher, Senior Brothers, Junior Brothers... in a single night, all were slaughtered!

And they were even branded with the monstrous infamy of colluding with Void Demons!

Thinking back then, he had ventured alone deep into the Desolate Region, bloodily slaying a thousand Void Demons! Now, he had become a traitor to the Human Race?

This damned world! It should be completely incinerated! Overturned!

"I offer my flesh and blood! My Divine Soul! To the Elemental Spirit of Fire!"

Mu Xingyan's body began to burn furiously! His Divine Soul also rose within the flames!

Burn my remnant body! Ignite my soul!

No one in this world can kill me! The only one who can kill me is the Spirit of the Fire Element!

Between heaven and earth, violent fire-attribute spiritual power gathered frantically!

Mu Xingyan's body completely transformed into a ball of pure and violent fire, carrying the will to incinerate everything as it boldly crashed into the giant serpent formation locking him in!

Sss-la—!

The serpent domain was pierced through like thin paper! That ball of destructive fire continued unabated, charging straight for Song Hao!

"A fine head is right here! Who will come to take it?"

Song Hao's soul almost left his body, his courage shattered!

The group of Qinglan Guards were terrified, each performing their strongest defensive Divine Ability!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Layer upon layer of protective spiritual light and Magic Treasure barriers shattered one after another like glass before that ball of fire!

At this critical moment, the space beside Song Hao suddenly rippled like water and split open a rift.

A figure stepped out calmly from within.

The newcomer had a sinister face, with features as exquisite as carved ice and jade yet exuding a bone-chilling coldness; his eye sockets were as deep as an abyss. Wearing a Black Tiger-Patterned Martial Suit, he added a bit more killing intent and majesty.

"Noisy!"

A cold voice rang out. He casually waved his right hand, and a hand-blade strike slashed down through the air!

An invisible Saber Qi that seemed capable of severing space passed by silently.

Mu Xingyan's burning pupils suddenly dilated! He felt the world spinning, and the last thing he saw in his vision was actually his own headless remnant body, still charging forward in the flames... The head fell from high in the sky,

His consciousness instantly sank into eternal darkness.

Song Hao only heard the voice and caught a fleeting glimpse of the side profile, yet he already recognized this person's identity—the former number one peerless Prodigy of the Song Kingdom, Chao Xingzhi!

His talent was so high that he was publicly recognized as the foremost in the Song Kingdom for ten thousand years!

The reason for saying "former" was not that he had fallen from grace, but because he had already broken through to the Star God Realm at the age of sixteen, long ago transcending the category of so-called "Prodigy."

A Prodigy usually refers to a powerhouse under three hundred years old and below the Star God Realm.

"Lord Chao! This lowly one's poor performance is a capital offense! I implore your Lordship to move to the Qinglan Prefecture and allow the Prefectural Governor to show a bit of local hospitality..." Song Hao hurriedly bowed to apologize, his voice trembling.

However, before he could finish, he keenly caught that cold glint in the corner of Chao Xingzhi's eye.

Song Hao's scalp went numb; he didn't dare say another word, nor did he dare to even look back, transforming into a streak of light and fleeing for his life toward the distance!

This Chao Xingzhi was notoriously cold and ruthless, acting entirely according to his own whims.

In his eyes, those who were displeasing were killed as easily as ants.

Never mind a mere commander like Song Hao; even the Qinglan Prefectural Governor himself would probably find it hard to enter his Dharma Eye.

Chao Xingzhi made a casual beckoning motion, and Mu Xingyan's head, still falling in mid-air, flew into his palm.

With a light flick of his fingertips, the residual burning crimson flames on the head were silently extinguished.

He tore through space again, stepped in, and his figure disappeared without a trace.

Mu Xingyan's headless remnant body, under the final burning of the fire elemental spirit, turned into fly ash during its fall and dissipated between heaven and earth... From beginning to end, the powerhouses high in the sky never cast a single glance toward Zhang Sheng and Su Tang on the ground.

Zhang Sheng raised his hand to wipe the fine cold sweat from his forehead, swallowed with difficulty, and his tense nerves still found it hard to relax.

What made him feel a bone-deep dread was—

At the moment that mysterious powerhouse who tore space appeared and Mu Xingyan's head fell, a weak but incomparably clear thought was forcibly branded into his mind:

"Person of the New Prefecture, my name is Mu Xingyan, a Disciple of the Crimson Sun Dao Academy! If you are fated to see my Senior Brother, tell him—the Crimson Sun Dao Academy has never betrayed the Human Race! I, Mu Xingyan, have never betrayed the Human Race!"

"Why?! Why tell me?! Please, I don't want to hear it at all! Don't screw me over! Whatever you do, don't screw me over!"

Zhang Sheng's heart beat wildly, almost bursting through his chest.

Only after confirming that all the auras in the high sky had completely disappeared did he breathe a small sigh of relief.

As for that red-haired Cultivator's final transmission?

He immediately forced himself to cast it to the back of his mind, forgetting it completely! He didn't want to leave a single trace!