179: Chapter 179 One year later, the Day Trip

Where did they still have any courage left to join forces against the enemy?

In their eyes, only boundless fear remained, along with a single thought—to get away from this malevolent star.

The serpentine light and pink flowing light fled desperately in opposite directions.

Li Wen watched coldly.

He did not pursue them; he merely raised the hand holding the silver blade, leveling it before his chest.

Above the blade, the unscattered thunderous stardust seemed to be attracted, beginning to silently condense, elongate, and swirl.

A heart-palpitating, icy intent of slaughter spread silently.

Fifth Move—Mysterious Firmament · Soul Abyss!

Two blade lines, as thin as hair and nearly completely transparent, composed of pure Saber Intent and the power of destruction, flashed and vanished in the void.

Their speed exceeded the limits of Divine Sense perception, as if jumping through space, instantly crossing the long distance that Snake Demon You Tong and the Fu Ye Fox Demon were desperately fleeing across.

The fleeing figures of the two Yao suddenly stiffened.

The light in Snake Demon You Tong's eyes instantly extinguished, and an extremely thin line of blood silently appeared across his brow, heart, and Dantian.

Fu Ye's Demonic Qi suddenly dissipated; a trace of disbelief and intense unwillingness seemed to remain in his eyes.

He opened his mouth but could no longer make a sound; his body went limp and collapsed, his life force completely severed.

As for Turtle Demon Pan Yan, who had been heavily wounded by his companion's golden light earlier, under the impact of Ling Feng's Heaven-Splitting Golden Gang and the explosion of his own protective barrier, his shell was already largely shattered, his organs heavily damaged, and he lay motionless in the distance, with only a weak fluctuation of Demonic Qi left to prove he was still lingering on.

When Li Wen's cold gaze swept over, a trace of imperceptible Saber Intent brushed past, and this last descendant of the Yao Emperor could not even emit a cry before his life was completely extinguished.

From the moment Li Wen made his lightning-fast entrance to the five Yao Emperor descendants turning into five cold corpses, the entire process took no more than ten breaths.

The battlefield fell into a deathly silence.

The surviving Human Race Great Sun Realm and Flying Star Realm Gods and Demons still maintained their defensive circular formation, but they were all dumbfounded, frozen in place like stone statues.

Those remaining Yao soldiers and generals, who were originally aggressive under the leadership of the five Yao Emperor descendants, were now Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

Like a hive of bees that had been stirred up, they scrambled and fled in all directions, hating that their parents hadn't given them two more legs, without even the courage to look back.

Li Wen watched the Yao Race figures fleeing like stray dogs, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes, with no intention of mercy or holding back.

His gaze was as sharp as a blade, precisely locking onto the Yao Race figures on the battlefield who had not yet managed to escape.

His consistent principle was clear and ruthless: if he could kill one more Yao Race, he would kill one more, never showing mercy.

His figure moved like the wind, leaving a faint afterimage in place.

Li Wen's speed was unimaginably fast; within a few blinks, accompanied by several shrill and short screams, those few scattered Great Sun Realm Yao Race who wanted to escape all perished.

The silver blade light was precise and fatal, without a shred of waste.

However, the number of low-level Yao soldiers was simply too large, like an exploded ant colony, rushing and scattering into the deep wilderness forests or earth fissures.

With Li Wen's individual strength, he could not intercept them all, and could only watch as most of the Bright Moon Realm and Flying Star Realm minor Yao escaped.

When there was no longer a single standing Yao Race on the entire blood-soaked battlefield, Li Wen's figure froze amidst the corpses.

He slowly raised his hand and sheathed his blade, emitting a slight "click" sound, which sounded exceptionally clear in the suddenly quiet air.

He did not pause for a moment to survey this messy Shura field.

His figure flickered, and he had already appeared before those few scarred and barely standing Human Race Gods and Demons.

Their armor was broken, their Aura was weak, and the bewilderment and shock of surviving a disaster still lingered in their eyes.

"How is the situation?" Li Wen's tone was as flat as a casual greeting, as if the world-shocking feat of instantly killing the five great Yao Emperor blood descendants and clearing out the remnants on the battlefield just now was merely brushing dust off his sleeve.

The Great Sun Realm Peak God and Demon captain who was in charge of command and covered in blood.

Previously, it was he who had been struggling to maintain the crumbling defensive circular formation with his Dao Realm cultivation, and he was pulled back to reality by Li Wen's voice.

He looked at the young man before him, whose Aura was peaceful and even somewhat reserved, his throat rolling violently, and the muscles on his face twitching slightly due to excitement.

It was a complex emotion, a mixture of the ecstasy of surviving a disaster, awe of absolute power, and the shock that had not yet completely dissipated.

His voice trembled uncontrollably: "Re—Report, Inspector Li Wen! For... fortunately, you arrived in time...! The fortress held! The crisis... is resolved! Our side..."

He endured the pain, his gaze sweeping over the few companions around him who were equally miserable but still alive, "The core defensive force... suffered heavy losses, but a few of us remain! Thanks to your timely arrival!"

He dared not imagine that if Li Wen had arrived even half a moment later, this Xilin City Interstellar Gate fortress would likely have become another ruined wall for the Human Race.

Li Wen nodded slightly: "Hmm."

He showed no self-importance, his gaze turning to the damaged protective shield, the burning ruined walls, and the Interstellar Gate that was still slowly rotating and emitting a deep blue luster.

"Immediately clean up the battlefield, prioritize treating all survivors, and stabilize the defense line."

His instructions were clear and fast, "Report the battle situation in detail to the General Headquarters, including the scale of the enemy, the composition of high-end combat power, and... our specific losses."

"Yes! Understood!" The captain braced himself and immediately called out to the companions around him who could still Move.

Li Wen's gaze landed once again on the star gate, which was deep and seemed to lead to an endless abyss, a trace of deep contemplation flashing in the depths of his eyes.

Killing five direct blood descendants of the Yao Emperor in one breath; each of them involved a massive force behind them.

The storm surging behind this gate would definitely not end here.

Monster Realm, the core of the region corresponding to the Xilin City Interstellar Gate.

A middle-aged man with noble silver-gray hair and beard, and five fluffy long tails behind him moving without wind, was standing with his hands behind his back beside the Interstellar Gate.

His Aura was deep and profound, and the surrounding space seemed to be slightly distorted by his presence.

He was none other than Fu Ye's direct Old Ancestor—Five-Tailed Heavenly Fox, Great Yao King Fu Yan.

Fu Ye was a Genius rarely seen in his lineage for hundreds of years, with astonishing Bloodline purity; he was highly expected by him and regarded as the greatest reliance for the Heavenly Fox clan to produce a second Yao Emperor in the future.

In order for Fu Ye to succeed in his "trial" in the Human Race territory, he spared no effort to sit in the rear himself, using a large amount of resources and connections to make restraining layouts, ensuring that this attack on Xilin City would be foolproof.

Fu Yan's mood even carried a trace of secret anticipation, waiting for his pride to return loaded with honors.

However, time passed second by second, and the fluctuations coming from the other side of the gate were not the triumphant return he had expected.

Suddenly!

A crisp and piercing "crack" sound rang out in his arms without warning, like an ice pick stabbing into his heart.

Great Yao King Fu Yan's body suddenly stiffened, a trace of panic flashing in his eyes.

With trembling hands, he took out an object from his arms—it was a warm, white jade tablet engraved with complex Yao patterns.

At this moment, a hideous crack visible to the bottom had split open in the center of the jade tablet, and the faint light that originally lingered on it, which was tied to Fu Ye's life, had completely dimmed and extinguished.

The shattered life tablet!

All the indifference and anticipation on Great Yao King Fu Yan's face instantly froze, replaced by extreme astonishment and disbelief.

He stared fixedly at the shattered life tablet, stunned in place as if petrified, a full half minute passing.

This sudden, massive blow left even a King-rank existence like him momentarily disheartened and lost.

"Old Ancestor! Old Ancestor!" A burst of panicked screams accompanied by staggering figures interrupted his daze.

Only to see a few disheveled and weak-Aura Bright Moon Realm Yao Race crawling and rolling back from the Interstellar Gate.

Great Yao King Fu Yan suddenly came back to his senses, scarlet red appearing in his eyes.

His figure appeared like a ghost before the deserter in the front, a palm wreathed in dark cyan flames gripping the Yao soldier's throat like an iron clamp, lifting him into the air, his voice cold and bone-chilling: "Speak! Where is Fu Ye?!"

The Bright Moon Realm Yao Race rolled his eyes from being choked, trembling all over with fear, struggling to squeeze a sound from his throat: "Dead... dead! Lord Fu Ye... and, and Lord Ling Feng, Lord Pan Yan and the others... were all, all killed by a Human Race... a blade-wielding Great Sun Realm!"

"Great Sun Realm?" Great Yao King Fu Yan's voice suddenly rose, filled with incomprehensible rage, "Nonsense! How can a mere Great Sun Realm kill Fu Ye? With the five of them joining forces, they could even contend with a Marquis-rank!"

He simply did not believe it, or rather, he refused to believe this result.

He threw aside the almost suffocating Yao soldier and violently grabbed at the other few Yao Race who had fled back, questioning them hoarsely.

The answers he received were all the same.

"A Human Race with a silver blade..."

"The speed is too fast..."

"The power... it's absurdly strong..."

"A few slashes... just a few slashes..."

These fragmented messages of despair, like a cold tide, completely extinguished the last shred of hope in Fen Yan's heart.

Grief rolled like magma, instantly transforming into a venomous hatred and killing intent capable of burning everything away.

"Li... Wen...!" The King-rank Yao Race Lord Fu Yan finally pieced together the name from the deserters' descriptions—it was the promising rising star mentioned in the intelligence, the one guarding Changning City.

He squeezed the name through his teeth, every syllable laced with blood-weeping venomous hatred.

"How dare you slay the foundation of my Heavenly Fox Royal Race's future!" The King-rank Yao Race Lord Fu Yan let out a piercing, shrill scream toward the sky. The sound pierced the clouds, causing the surrounding low-level Yao Race to tremble and kneel on the ground.

His five Heavenly Fox tails suddenly flared out, and his Demonic Qi erupted crazily like an out-of-control volcano, causing space itself to let out an overwhelmed groan.

"I will tear you into ten thousand pieces! I will use your flesh, blood, and Soul to pay tribute to Fu Ye!!!"

That sky-high venomous hatred and the terrifying Divine Might of the King-rank Yao Race Lord made all living beings within a hundred miles feel a chill that originated from their very Souls.

Meanwhile.

Li Wen, guarding the Interstellar Gate, seemed to sense something.

His Divine Sense, like an invisible net, quietly crossed the spatial barrier of reality and cautiously probed behind the Interstellar Gate.

—

Thanks to the astonishing perception brought by the third layer of the Primordial Spirit, a blurry scene across the plane barrier vaguely appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

He "saw" that on the scorched land belonging to the Monster Realm behind the gate, a terrifying and chaotic Demonic Qi was gathering.

At the center, the space around the five-tailed Heavenly Fox Yao Race Lord was distorted by extreme grief and rage, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.

Countless Yao Race were trembling and prostrate on the ground, not daring to make the slightest Move.

The Yao Race Lord's low roar was like rolling thunder, piercing through the spatial barrier and bringing an omen of destruction.

"The Yao Emperor's Bloodline... how can it be insulted so lightly... Human Race Li Wen... I will make you pay with your life!"

That mental intent, filled with resentment and killing thoughts, was enough to make the will of ordinary Great Sun Realm gods and demons collapse.

Li Wen's expression remained unchanged. The golden radiance of his Primordial Spirit deep within his Sea of Consciousness flowed, easily smoothing out the aftermath of this cross-border mental shock.

He silently withdrew his Divine Sense probe, the gravity in his heart deepening by a few degrees.

The fury of a King-rank was more ferocious and direct than expected.

The next one to step through this gate would surely be a blade of vengeance that would not rest until one of them died.

However... he didn't care.

Time flew like an arrow, the sun and moon shuttled like a shuttle; in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

The morning of August 1st, 235, galactic calendar.

The warm sunlight penetrated the window lattice, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor of the quiet room.

Li Wen slowly opened his eyes, ending his night of deep meditation.

Abundant Mental Energy flowed within his body, adjusting his state to its Peak.

As had become a daily habit, he moved his mind, his consciousness sinking into his Sea of Consciousness, and the familiar, concise panel information appeared: [Name: Li Wen]

[Age: 27]

[Realm: Great Sun Realm Late Stage (Level 58.5)]

[Profession: Scholar Lv14 (819030 / 819200)]

[Skill: Blade Technique · Dao Realm (11%)]

[Cultivation Technique: God-Shocking Sting · Seventh Layer (100%)]

It had been three full years since he started guarding Changning City.

Thanks to the joint efforts of many gods and demons, including himself, the Changning City defense line was as solid as a fortress, and the pressure on surrounding cities had also been reduced significantly.

In these three years, Li Wen had not slacked off for a single day. Day after day of Cultivate and study had resulted in steady improvements in his strength.

His Blade Technique had entered the "Dao Realm," no longer confined to the superficial appearances of Moves, but touching upon the understanding and application of the Origin of martial arts.

His Physical Body was only a step away from Level 59.9, which represented the Peak of the Great Sun Realm.

At this moment, his gaze rested on the [Profession] column.

Scholar Experience Points — 819030 / 819200.

Only 170 points left.

A trace of imperceptible anticipation flashed in Li Wen's eyes as he rose calmly.

He washed up and took a high-energy nutritional supplement to replenish his physical energy.

After completing these routines, he walked straight to the study on the side of the quiet room.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, spent in highly focused reading and thinking.

Almost at the very last second of turning the page, a familiar prompt appeared clearly in his Sea of Consciousness:

[You studied diligently for two hours, Scholar Experience Points +180]

[Profession: Scholar Lv14 (819210 / 819200)]

[Profession leveling up...]

A long-accumulated power, like a floodgate opening, erupted deep within his Sea of Consciousness.

[Profession: Scholar Lv15 (10 / 1638400)]

Endless, pure, and vast Mental Energy emerged from thin air. It was no longer gentle but carried a certain surging power that pushed against boundaries.

Li Wen's Sea of Consciousness, this mental ocean that nurtured his Primordial Spirit, let out a silent groan under the impact of this immense force, its boundary walls being forcibly pushed open and widened.

It was like a dried-up riverbed receiving rain from heaven, only this rain was so torrential it was almost violent.

In the very center of the Sea of Consciousness, the Primordial Spirit, which had originally solidified into the form of a seven-foot man, was swept up and infused by this torrent.

It expanded violently as if being inflated—seven feet, seven and a half feet, eight feet... Under the influence of some ineffable mental Law, what increased was not just volume, but also the density of its condensation and the sublimation of its inner essence.

The outline of the Primordial Spirit was incomparably clear, its face identical to Li Wen's Physical Body sitting cross-legged, only with more inner divine radiance.

The expansion did not stop at eight feet.

Nine feet!

The moment the Primordial Spirit reached a height of nine feet, a critical point of qualitative change was fiercely breached.

Hum—

An invisible shockwave spread out with the Primordial Spirit as the center.

The radiance of the Primordial Spirit Power was no longer gentle but revealed a sharp, bright quality, like the midday sun.

The tough barrier between the third and fourth layers of the Primordial Spirit melted away at this moment.

The process of qualitative change lasted for a full half hour.

The surging mental torrent finally calmed down, and the widened Sea of Consciousness returned to deep tranquility.

The Primordial Spirit at the center had stabilized at a height of nine feet, as if meticulously carved from the purest crystal, yet containing energy as restrained as a volcano.

It was no longer a shrunken projection but an energy entity as tall and solid as Li Wen's Physical Body.

Every movement emanated a mental pressure capable of shaking reality; this was the fourth layer of the Primordial Spirit! Day-Roaming Realm! Clone Realm!

Li Wen slowly exhaled a long breath, as if unloading an invisible burden.

Brand new perception fed back from the Primordial Spirit. The entire world became unprecedentedly clear and detailed in his "eyes."

The trajectory of dust floating in the air, the subtle energy flow on the distant fortress walls, and even the extremely slight vibrations of machinery deep within the base—all were presented in minute detail within his mental sensory network.

The power of heaven and earth he could mobilize also increased dramatically, as if he could pull greater natural power with a wave of his hand.

His mind moved slightly.

The nine-foot Primordial Spirit, sitting cross-legged within the Sea of Consciousness, seemed to rise with just a gentle motion, instantly breaking free from the shackles of his Physical Body.

There was no expected stinging pain or burning sensation of the Primordial Spirit—that was the suffering of the burning sun scorching the Soul that one would inevitably endure when leaving the body during the day at the third layer of the Primordial Spirit.

At this moment, the Primordial Spirit just stood naturally and without any abnormality in the center of the room, bathing in the morning light filtering through the window lattice.

The sunlight shone on its half-solid, half-energy body without causing any harm; instead, it felt warm and comfortable, as if it were a part of this sunlight itself.

The fourth layer of the Primordial Spirit was precisely the ability to roam freely during the day, as if walking on flat ground.

With another thought, a set of ordinary clothes instantly condensed from pure Primordial Spirit Power covered the Primordial Spirit's body, concealing its originally naked form.

It took a step, like a real person, silently passing through the closed door and appearing in the quiet corridor outside.

The next second, the Primordial Spirit figure blurred and suddenly accelerated.

Its speed far exceeded the limit of Li Wen's normal physical movement. With a posture almost like teleportation, it had already swept out of the Changning City Underground Fortress Pass and appeared above Changning City on the surface within a breath.

At this moment, Li Wen's real Physical Body was still sitting cross-legged in the quiet room, eyes closed and focusing.

And his Primordial Spirit was performing routine patrol duties in his stead.