127: Chapter 126 Art is an Explosion

Yun Ming's mind raced while he maintained his offensive.

Flee?

Space was sealed by that fourth-grade spiritual talisman; no matter how fast his escape technique was, he couldn't get out.

Fight it out?

He couldn't win. This Gaunt Old Man was only at the Late Golden Core Stage, but even with all his strength, Yun Ming could only suppress him, not kill him. Once the other nine arrived, it would be his death day.

He thought of the zixiao void-breaking thunder bead.

A cold sensation came from his fingertips. The longan-sized bead lay quietly in his palm, purple light flowing across its surface—sometimes blazing like a scorching sun, sometimes dark as a deep pool. Within the crystal, streaks of lightning could faintly be seen wandering; with every movement, they emitted a slight crackling sound.

Yun Ming took a deep breath.

This was the only way left to break the deadlock.

Use the thunder bead to tear through the spatial seal, then use the Fuli Heaven-Concealing Record to hide his Aura and escape. As long as he was fast enough, those demonic cultivators would definitely not be able to find him.

The only pity was—

He glanced at the sky full of sword light above his head, at the layered Nine Heavens Sky-Net Sword Array.

He wouldn't be able to take this sword array with him.

In his current state, there was simply no time to retract the sword array before escaping. The moment he started to withdraw the formation, the Gaunt Old Man would immediately pounce. Once the other nine arrived, he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to.

Yun Ming gritted his teeth.

If he couldn't take it, then so be it.

With a thought, he left a self-destruct command in the core of the sword array. Once he escaped, this sword array would self-detonate after ten breaths. As for the power—it should be enough to give that old geezer a run for his money.

In the distance, the Gaunt Old Man's offensive became increasingly frenzied.

He could feel that his nine accomplices behind him were getting closer and closer. In half a cup of tea's time at most, they would arrive.

When that time came, the treasures on this kid would have to be split equally with them!

Why should they?

He was the one who discovered this kid first, he was the one who acted first, so why should they split it?

The Gaunt Old Man's eyes were bloodshot and his face was distorted. He desperately circulated his spiritual power, his giant bone palm waving frantically, smashing the streaks of sword light. But as soon as one batch of sword light was shattered, another followed, endless and impossible to finish off.

"Damned turtle!" he cursed loudly. "Why is he so hard to bite through!"

Clearly just an Early Golden Core Stage, clearly with a cultivation inferior to his own, how could he hold out for so long? How could he bring out so many supreme treasures?

The more he thought, the angrier he became, and his offensive grew even more crazed.

Yun Ming no longer hesitated.

With a wave of his hand, the cauldron of all things mother qi flew back, shrinking to the size of a palm and falling into his sleeve.

Then he took out the zixiao void-breaking thunder bead and held it high.

As soon as the thunder bead appeared, the surrounding air began to vibrate. Purple thunderous light surged from the bead, spreading in all directions; wherever it passed, the Void Realm faintly distorted.

The Gaunt Old Man's pupils constricted.

What was that?

He couldn't tell the origin of this bead, but that terrifying pressure and that heart-palpitating Aura of destruction made a sliver of fear instinctively rise within him.

This kid still had a trump card?

Seeing him stunned, Yun Ming felt more certain.

He took a deep breath and began to bluff.

"Old dog!" He laughed loudly, his voice echoing across the fields. "You've forced me to use my trump card; I'll give it to you today, you're quite something!"

He held the thunder bead high, the purple lightning growing more intense, dyeing the entire sky purple.

"Do you know what this is?" he shouted. "The Universal World-Extinguishing Thunder Bead!"

The Gaunt Old Man's expression changed.

Universal World-Extinguishing Thunder Bead? He hadn't heard of it.

But that Aura, that pressure—

Yun Ming continued: "As long as I trigger it, within three breaths, a quarter of the Ximing Continent will be turned into wasteland! Do you believe me?"

The Gaunt Old Man's face turned ashen.

He didn't dare believe it.

But he also didn't dare not believe it.

Every treasure this kid had brought out before was not inferior to his Soul Transformation palm bone, and some were even superior. That cauldron, that robe, that tower, that sword array—which one of them was something an ordinary Early Golden Core Stage could possess?

What if he was telling the truth?

What if that bead really could destroy a quarter of the Ximing Continent?

The Gaunt Old Man's throat felt dry as he forced himself to say: "Bullshit! Not even a Transformation God Daoist Lord would dare say they could turn a quarter of the Ximing Continent into wasteland. You're just an Early Golden Core Stage, what are you bragging about!"

Yun Ming laughed: "Don't believe me? Then let's try it!"

As his voice fell, he suddenly surged his spiritual power into the thunder bead!

Purple lightning surged out from the bead like a tide, spreading in all directions! Wherever the thunderous light passed, space began to distort, to vibrate, and to—crack!

One, two, three—

Countless purple bolts of lightning intertwined, forming a massive lightning net that shrouded the entire sky!

That Aura and pressure truly felt as if the world was ending!

The Gaunt Old Man's face was deathly pale.

One breath.

Two breaths.

His legs went weak, and he almost turned to flee.

But at the very moment the second breath was about to end, he suddenly saw the corners of Yun Ming's mouth curl slightly, and a flash of cunning light appeared in his eyes.

Fake?

A flash of realization struck his mind, and he reacted instantly!

This kid was tricking him!

"You little brat, how dare you—!"

The Gaunt Old Man roared, ignoring the sky full of sword light slashing at his body, and pounced toward Yun Ming like a madman!

The streaks of sword light fell upon him, carving out bloody gashes, but he ignored them entirely. His eyes were fixed on Yun Ming, on that thunder bead, and on the spatial rift that was about to be torn open—

The third breath!

Boom—!

Space was torn open, creating a massive gap!

The opening was pitch black like ink, with purple lightning dancing at its edges, bottomless as if leading to another world.

Yun Ming raised his middle finger at the Gaunt Old Man.

The old man didn't know what the gesture meant, but he could feel the insult within it.

Then, Yun Ming leaped and jumped into that rift.

He turned into a streak of rainbow light and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The Gaunt Old Man lunged but hit nothing, slamming into the spatial rift that was slowly healing.

His face was livid, and his whole body trembled.

He escaped?

That kid escaped?

He suddenly turned around and looked at the sky full of sword light—fortunately, the kid's sword array was still there. As long as he could refine this sword array before the others arrived, it wouldn't be a total loss.

He raised his hand and grabbed toward the core of the sword array.

The moment his fingers touched the core of the sword array—

A terrifying fluctuation came from deep within the sword array.

The Gaunt Old Man's pupils contracted sharply.

Not good—

Boom—!

A deafening explosion resounded through heaven and earth!

That Nine Heavens Sky-Net Sword Array, those layers of sword light filling the sky, all exploded at the same instant! Every streak of sword light was a sword, and every sword was self-detonating! Thousands upon thousands of sword lights self-detonating simultaneously—that power was enough to destroy heaven and earth!

Golden light soared into the sky, dyeing the entire heavens golden! The shockwave spread in all directions; wherever it passed, mountains collapsed, the earth cracked, and the Void Realm trembled!

A hundred miles away, Yun Ming had just tumbled out of the spatial rift when he was hit by that shockwave. He was sent flying, tumbling dozens of times in the air before he could barely stabilize himself.

He looked back and saw a massive mushroom cloud rising in that direction, the golden light illuminating half the sky.

"Good heavens..."

he murmured, his eyes full of shock.

Wasn't this power a bit too much?

Further away, the nine Golden Core demonic cultivators who were rushing over were also hit by the shockwave. Three of them couldn't dodge in time and were shaken until they spat blood and were sent flying. The other six, although they stabilized themselves, were also forced back repeatedly, their expressions extremely ugly.

And at the very center of the explosion—

There was nothing left.

Where the Gaunt Old Man had stood, there was now only a bottomless giant pit. At the bottom of the pit, golden flames were still burning—the remaining embers of the sword array's self-detonation.

As for that old man—

Not even a speck remained.

His Physical Body, his Golden Core, that Soul Transformation palm bone, his everything—all had been turned into nothingness in that earth-shattering explosion.

Yun Ming looked at that direction from afar, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

It was worth running away.

The sword array was gone, but his life was saved.

He took a deep breath and activated the Fuli Heaven-Concealing Record. His Aura instantly vanished, and his entire being dissipated into the world like a wisp of light smoke.