376: Arrogance

In the outskirts of Yelang Kingdom, the dust had not yet settled.

Tens of thousands of imperial guards had surrounded the fallen star-fire cluster like an iron barrel, with swords and spears bristling and banners fluttering.

Their eyes were filled with arrogance—in this "only one in the world" kingdom, a Golden Core cultivator was a god, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a general. How dare a mere stranger, falling from the sky, disturb His Majesty's presence?

The newcomer was none other than Ling Tian, who had fled here wounded.

His robes were stained with blood, and his Aura was chaotic, clearly having just experienced a life-and-death battle.

The commander of the imperial guards was first stunned, then burst into laughter:

"Hahaha! So it's a refugee beggar! Look at him, he can't even stand steadily. Has he fallen and gone mad?"

He drew his gold-inlaid saber and haughtily shouted: "Who are you! How dare you trespass into my Yelang Kingdom? Kneel and be bound at once!"

Ling Tian slowly raised his head, his eyes glinting with a cold light like blades, his voice low yet clear: "Noisy. Get lost, or else—I will annihilate you."

"Ha?!" The commander seemed to have heard the biggest joke, turned around, and yelled to the soldiers: "Did you hear that? This madman says he wants to annihilate us! With just him? And a half-dead cripple?!"

"Take him down! Drag him back to be a plaything for His Majesty's new favorite!"

The tens of thousands of imperial guards roared with laughter, shouting in unison: "Yelang is invincible! First under Heaven!"

Then they charged forward like a tide, brandishing swords and spears, with a formidable Aura—unaware that they were facing the Lord of the God Slaying Pavilion, who had just escaped from a True Immortal battle!

Ling Tian sneered, not even moving his feet, merely pointing a finger casually.

Boom—!!!

The earth suddenly cracked! Countless broken stones soared into the sky, transforming into thousands upon thousands of sharp stone blades under the Law of power, pouring down like a torrential rain!

The tens of thousands of imperial guards didn't even have time to scream before their chests, heads, and limbs were pierced, blood gushing like springs, corpses littering the field, and in an instant, the entire army was annihilated!

The battlefield, which had been deafeningly noisy just moments ago, instantly became as silent as a tomb.

The commander of the imperial guards' legs went soft, his pants soaked, and he turned to flee for his life.

"Didn't you want to take me down?" Ling Tian's five fingers clenched, and an invisible force dragged him back, like a chicken chick, "Why are you running?"

"Immortal... Immortal, spare my life!" The commander kowtowed like pounding garlic, his forehead bloody and bruised, "This lowly one was blind and offended heavenly might! I beg you to spare my life, I am willing to be your horse and whip, to serve you as a beast!"

Ling Tian's gaze was indifferent, and he punched out—

"Bang!"

His head exploded, red and white splattering.

Within the royal palace, the King was triumphantly boasting to his ministers: "When My imperial guards are deployed, even meteors from beyond the sky can be subdued! My Yelang Kingdom is indeed—"

Before he could finish speaking, a servant stumbled in, his face pale: "Your... Your Majesty! This is bad! The imperial guards... the entire army has been annihilated!"

"Impudent!" The King was furious, slamming the table and rising, "How dare you spread alarmist rumors here?! My Yelang Kingdom is the strongest country in the world! The elite imperial guards are invincible, how could they..."

Before his words faded, a cold laugh came from the Nine Heavens, chilling to the bone:

"Hahaha... Yelang Kingdom? Yelang's arrogance, how fitting. A frog in a well, daring to call itself 'First under Heaven'?"

Everyone looked up and saw Ling Tian standing in mid-air, his black robe fluttering, his body enveloped in unscattered Killing Intent. His gaze swept over the royal palace, like a god looking down on ants.

"Who are you?!" The King forced himself to calm down, his trembling finger pointing at the sky, "How dare you mock this Emperor! Guards! Seize him for me! Guards—!"

However, no matter how he roared, inside and outside the hall, no one answered.

The once noisy royal city was now as silent as a tomb—all living people, at the moment of Ling Tian's arrival, had their heart Meridians shattered by an invisible pressure, and all perished.

The King finally panicked, his voice trembling: "No... impossible! How could there be an existence stronger than my Yelang in this world?! Absolutely impossible! I am the Chosen King!"

Ling Tian raised one hand high, a cluster of crimson flames condensed in his palm: "Since you firmly believe Yelang is the strongest in the world, then today, I will let you see with your own eyes—beyond the world, there are other worlds; above ants, there are True Dragons!"

"Yelang Kingdom—be destroyed."

"No—!!" The King collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide, screaming in despair.

Rumble!!!

The blazing flames fell like a meteor, the entire royal city collapsed in a sea of fire, mountains and rivers turned to scorched earth, and hundreds of thousands of living beings were all reduced to ashes.

Ling Tian closed his eyes, forming hand seals, and a bloody Qi rose from the ground, condensing into a giant blood array—it was the God Slaying Pavilion's secret "Myriad Spirit Blood Sacrifice Array"!

Torrential blood Qi surged into his body, repairing his Meridians and replenishing his True Essence, his injuries recovering at a visible speed.

And above this hellish ruin, only he stood alone, like a demon or a god.

The once invincible "strongest nation under Heaven" now had not even a speck of dust left.

Just then, West Moon in his arms slowly opened his eyes, his face pale, quietly looking at the hellish scene before him, and spoke with a sneer:

"Are you from a previous civilization? I didn't expect such a lack of bottom line, a country destroyed just like that, not even sparing women and children."

Ling Tian's eyes still had a bloody glint: "Why can't it be destroyed? Aren't you the Chosen One? If Heavenly Dao can destroy a civilization and kill countless living beings, why can't I?"

West Moon laughed up to the sky: "Do you even qualify to be compared with Heavenly Dao?! All things in heaven and earth are created by Heavenly Dao; without Heavenly Dao, there would be no living beings, no order, no Reincarnation! It destroys because it creates—that is its authority! And you?"

Ling Tian was silent for a moment, then a cruel smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:

"I am stronger than them, that is my right!!!"

West Moon didn't bother to argue with Ling Tian: "You are so arrogant, wantonly slaughtering living beings, aren't you afraid... of Heavenly Dao's punishment?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Tian's laughter was full of disdain: "Heavenly Dao? Hahaha! Heavenly Dao was already personally slain by us! Now is precisely the time to contend for the position of the next Heavenly Dao—otherwise, why would we kill each other to fight over you, this 'Chosen One'?!"

West Moon sneered inwardly.

As the true Chosen One, he could clearly sense—Heavenly Dao had not fallen, it was merely hidden.

But he absolutely could not say this. Once the heavenly secret was leaked, it would be a betrayal of Heavenly Dao, and the consequence would inevitably be the destruction of his Divine Soul and eternal damnation.

He had to maintain the persona of a "loyal" person—even if he were to die now, as long as his resolve remained unchanged, Heavenly Dao would surely resurrect him in the future!

So, he suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter carrying a hint of pity: "So that's it? Hahaha... Who told you that seizing the Chosen One would allow you to become the next Heavenly Dao?"

Ling Tian's eyes narrowed: "This is Shen Wuya's deduction. Even if you can't become Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao's will contained within you is enough to help me Breakthrough my shackles! Alright, stop babbling—I'll send you to meet 'Heavenly Dao' now!"

West Moon's expression was calm: "Wait... I'll ask one last question, that Bai Jingjing who was taken away by Shen Wuya... she will also be killed, right?"

"Naturally." Ling Tian said coldly, "All Chosen Ones will die."

"Good, good, good..." West Moon said "good" three times, and a relieved smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Two Chosen Ones, simultaneously undergoing Possession and refinement by you, is indeed our destiny. Very well, make your move."

Ling Tian, however, hesitated.

He stared at West Moon's fearless eyes, his brows tightly furrowed: "You... aren't afraid of death?"

"Haha!" West Moon laughed up to the sky, his eyes even gleaming, "Why should I be afraid?"

Ling Tian's heart suddenly trembled, as if struck by lightning—No! Something was very wrong!

Even an ant struggles before death, and a dying beast still knows how to wail, but West Moon was not only unafraid, but rather... expectant?

That expression was clearly proving something to some supreme existence—for example, loyalty!

In a flash of lightning, Ling Tian had an epiphany:

"You are the Chosen One... Could it be that you know where the next Heavenly Dao is?!"