406: Chapter 406 Burning Holy Eye

Immediately, its form rapidly shrank, the lightning glow gradually dimmed, and it finally transformed back into a nimble, silver-gold dragon-shaped arc, coiling docilely back around his right arm.

It glided slowly along his arm, affectionately nuzzled against his sleeve, and finally vanished beneath the black sleeve, leaving behind only a faint, ancient, and profound lightning mark—that was the mark of the Thunder True Dragon, the only remaining evidence of the world-shocking battle that had just taken place.

The battle.

From start to finish, it had taken no more than a dozen breaths.

Three great alien Prodigies—Yue Ji, You Hai, and Chi Tong—two dead, one escaped.

And the escaped Chi Tong, the future hope of the Holy Race, the favored child of heaven upon whom the clansmen pinned their high hopes, and the existence carrying the thousand-year Luck of the Holy Race, had inevitably paid an unimaginably heavy price:

The Holy Eye was completely shattered, the Origin Dao foundation suffered devastating damage, and even worse, that final claw strike had injured his very roots—severing his path to the future and cutting off his Opportunity for the great Dao.

Even if he survived in this world, he would never again be able to ascend to the Peak in this lifetime.

Even if he lingered on, he would never again be able to reclaim his glory.

Inside the Secret Realm, there was dead silence.

Even the wind had stopped, the light had congealed, and time itself seemed to have been eternally frozen at this moment.

Luo Xiaojiu and the other two were already numbed by the shock, their minds blank, as if their Souls had been shaken out of their bodies by that heaven-shocking battle, drifting in the Void Realm, unable to return for a long time.

They could only stand there blankly, like three weathered statues, looking at that figure in black clothes, watching the lingering traces of the arc on his arm, watching his hem being lightly lifted and slowly falling again by the aftershocks of the battle, watching his back, which remained as straight as a pine tree after the sky-filling lightning dissipated—as if they were looking up at a Thunder deity who had walked out of ancient myths and was now walking in the Mortal World.

Luo Xiaojiu's lips trembled slightly; she wanted to say something, ask something, shout something—but she found her throat seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, unable to utter a single sound.

Only scalding tears fell silently, tracing paths across her blood-stained cheeks, leaving behind clear tracks.

In her eyes, which were stained with blood yet remained shockingly bright, that black-clad figure was reflected—at this moment, that figure seemed to have merged with heaven and earth, and yet also seemed to exist independently of heaven and earth, towering above all living beings, overlooking the Mortal World, overlooking the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.

However.

This battle record, which was enough to be recorded in history, shock the same generation, even rewrite the future pattern of the Myriad Heavens, and influence the rise and fall of ten thousand races, the monstrous waves it triggered had only just begun to surge!

Outside the Secret Realm.

The place in the Myriad Heavens and Worlds Void Realm where they were watching the battle.

Dead silence.

A silence even deeper than inside the Secret Realm—it was a silence where even breathing was forgotten, where even heartbeats stopped, where even thinking solidified!

Before countless water mirrors and light screens, from the Demon Race, Sea Race, Insect Race, Spirit Race, Yao Race, Holy Race...

The powerhouses, Elders, Protectors, Supreme Elders, and even some ancient existences who had hidden behind the scenes for thousands or tens of thousands of years, closing themselves off in death-seclusion to comprehend the Dao, from all the top forces of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, all stood frozen on the spot, like statues that had lost their Souls, like ants imprisoned by an immobilization spell.

The expressions on their faces, from initial gravity and suspicion to later shock and disbelief, finally completely solidified into an extremely complex look—

This was an expression where terror and killing intent were intertwined, where wariness and greed coexisted, where shock and madness were entangled, and where fear and excitement were born together; it was extremely spectacular, and also extremely hideous.

"True... True Dragon Precious Technique..."

A Demon Race Elder, whose whole body was shrouded in deep Devilish Qi, was the first to break the silence. His voice was dry and hoarse, and every word carried an unconcealable tremor, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

He had curved demonic horns on his head, and inscribed on the horns were countless ancient demonic patterns. This was the symbol of a Demon Race Elder, proof that he had experienced mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and witnessed the rise and fall of ten thousand races—

But at this moment, this Demon Race powerhouse, who had seen great storms and waves and experienced countless calamities, found his hands trembling slightly, and the demonic patterns on his horns flickered, revealing the raging waves surging within his heart.

"And... it is definitely not an ordinary True Dragon Legacy! This is... a life-bound Divine Ability that has fused his own Bloodline with the thunder Dao?!"

His voice grew higher and higher, and finally, he was almost roaring, his voice hoarse and exhausted, like a trapped beast howling:

"He is a Human Race, how is it possible! How can it be! How dare he! To fuse the most rigid and yang, the most pure and righteous True Dragon Precious Technique with the all-destroying thunder Dao to such a perfect, such a harmonious, such a natural level!"

"This is impossible! This defies common sense! This subverts cognition!"

"That Prodigy from the Holy Race, Chi Tong..."

A powerhouse of the Sea Race, wearing a deep blue imperial robe and a coral crown, took over the conversation. His voice was as deep as an undercurrent in the deep sea, suppressing endless horror.

His fingers unconsciously tapped on the armrest of his throne, and each tap stirred up ripples in the Void Realm, exposing the extreme unease in his heart.

"Burning the Holy Eye, using a life-saving item at the level of an ancestral artifact, and paying such a tragic price, only to barely escape with a wisp of a remnant Soul..."

"Yue Ji detonated her moon core, destroying both body and Soul, without even a chance for Reincarnation..."

"You Hai was even cleansed completely by the Dragon breath, wiped out thoroughly, without even a trace of existence left..."

His eyes were as sharp as knives, piercing towards the water mirror that had returned to calm, as if wanting to gouge that black-clad figure out from the mirror:

"Three great Prodigies, besieging one person, yet were countered and killed to this extent! This kind of combat power—this kind of combat power—"

"A dozen breaths!"

The Insect Race Mother Emperor's mental fluctuations suddenly rose and fell violently, interrupting the Sea Race powerhouse's words. Her mental transmission carried a wariness and cold killing intent that were so clear they almost solidified, like ten thousand steel needles stabbing out at once:

"Only a dozen breaths! Sweeping away everything, like a hot knife through butter, crushing and suppressing to death!"

"This child's combat power has completely exceeded the category of 'Prodigy'!"

"This is absolutely not strength that the younger generation should have! This... this is a monster!"

"It is a monster cultivated by the Human Race! It is a killing move buried by the Human Race!"

"It is the bugle call for the rise of the Human Race!"

"Correct!"

A wise Elder of the Spirit Race slowly stood up. His whole body was shrouded in a soft light, which was the radiance of wisdom and life—

But at this moment, this light appeared incomparably heavy, even carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

His gaze pierced through the endless Void Realm, through layers of barriers, as if wanting to see clearly every detail, every trace of aura, every wisp of Dao rhyme of that black-clad figure.

"His strength is already no less than, and perhaps even exceeds, those few of this generation from our race, the Demon Race, the Sea Race, and other top great races..."

He paused, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them again.

Countless complex emotions flashed in his eyes, finally turning into monstrous waves beneath a calm surface.

He spat out, word by word, the term that was enough to make the Myriad Heavens tremble and the ten thousand races shudder:

"'Peerless Prodigy'!"

Once the four words "Peerless Prodigy" were spoken, it was like a thunderclap exploding in the Void Realm, like divine punishment descending upon the hearts of all living beings, stirring up monstrous waves in the hearts of many powerhouses!

This is the true foundation and future hope of each race!

This is the ultimate seed that each race has exhausted resources to cultivate, hidden for a thousand years, sealed for ten thousand years, and piled up with countless Heaven And Earth Treasures!

This is a true monster capable of dominating a region of heaven and earth in the future, ruling over ten thousand races, contending for hegemony in the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, and even impacting that supreme Realm!

Ordinary Prodigies, in front of a "Peerless Prodigy", are nothing but ants and dust, fireflies and the bright moon, streams and the vast sea!

And Chu Zhanxiao—a Human Race youth—a youth from the Human Race that was despised by ten thousand races and trampled upon by the Myriad Heavens—actually possessed combat power that rivaled or even surpassed these Peerless Prodigies?!

"Human Race... when did such a monster appear?!"

"Must investigate his background! Investigate his master! Investigate everything about him! Investigate his weaknesses!"

"Must not let him grow up! Absolutely not! Otherwise, the future pattern of the Myriad Heavens will be completely changed because of him! The Human Race will rise because of this, and the ten thousand races will face a catastrophe!"

"This child must be killed!"

As soon as the two words "must be killed" were spoken, it was like igniting a powder keg, like opening Pandora's box!

After a brief silence, there was sky-high killing intent and determination!

It was monstrous killing intent and crazy wariness!

It was streams of incomparably tyrannical Divine Thoughts, containing the highest will of each race and carrying the fate of ten thousand races, breaking through the barriers of the Void Realm without hesitation!

Secret arts were cast, messaging treasures were activated, Bloodline resonances trembled in the Void Realm, and ancient incantations were chanted in the dark!

These Divine Thoughts crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, pierced through layers of Restrictions, ignored the Secret Realm barriers, and in various ways, through various channels, and by various means, madly surged into the Secret Realm, conveying messages to the Prodigies, teams, or hidden agents who had been lurking for many years from their respective races who had entered the Secret Realm!

The content of the Divine Thoughts was astonishingly consistent—as if the Myriad Heavens and Worlds had set aside ten thousand years of grievances and abandoned a thousand years of hatred at this moment, reaching an unprecedented consensus, just for one goal:

"At all costs!"

"Joining forces is fine, plotting is fine, poisoning is also okay, sneak attacks are okay, besieging is not forbidden!"

"Must kill this person—Chu Zhanxiao, in the Secret Realm! Strangle him before he grows up!"

"The priority of killing this child is higher than the highest Legacy of the Secret Realm! Higher than any Opportunity! Higher than any interest!"

"Allowed to use all forbidden means! Allowed to burn Origin! Allowed to sacrifice Lifespan! The clan will provide maximum support! Provide post-event compensation! Provide everything you want!"

"If this child does not die, he will surely become a great threat to our race in the future! If this child does not die, no one in the Myriad Heavens will be able to check and balance the Human Race in the future! If this child does not die, the ten thousand races will never have peace!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Every "Kill" word contained monstrous killing intent and boundless wariness, echoing in the Void Realm, surging in the Secret Realm, and exploding in the hearts of every alien Prodigy!

For a time.

Inside the Secret Realm, the wind and clouds suddenly changed, and heaven and earth changed color.

Undercurrents surged, killing intent was everywhere, and a net of heaven and earth was quietly spread.

Countless alien Prodigies and teams that received the order changed their expressions—they looked up in unison, looking towards a certain direction in the Secret Realm, the direction where a world-shocking battle had just erupted, and that direction still had faint lingering Thunder power and Dragon breath.

In their eyes, they were filled with unprecedented gravity, greed, wariness, fear, madness... and naked, unconcealed, bone-deep killing intent!

Some had eyes burning with crazy Battle Intent, wanting to step on this Human Race member who was comparable to a Peerless Prodigy to rise, becoming famous throughout the world in one fell swoop!

Some had eyes flickering with cold calculation, preparing to strike in the dark, borrow a knife to kill, and sit back to reap the benefits!

Some had eyes full of fear, legs trembling, but had to obey the clan's orders, biting the bullet and moving forward!

Some had eyes flashing with sharp light, preparing to loot the burning house and fish in troubled waters!

Some had eyes like an ancient well without waves, but had already secretly laid out a net of heaven and earth!

Chu Zhanxiao.

With his own power, he not only killed the strong enemies and saved his fellow disciples, but also used this glorious and short battle to successfully make himself the number one target that must be eradicated in the eyes of the entire Secret Realm—and even countless forces of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds!

A person who must be killed!

An enemy who must be exterminated!

And the originator of all this.

Completely unaware.

Or rather, completely unconcerned.

Inside the Secret Realm.

Chu Zhanxiao slowly withdrew his arm, the sky-filling lingering Thunder power and Dragon power gradually calmed down, and finally returned to nothingness, as if they had never appeared.

On his black robe, there was not even a speck of dust, not a single wrinkle left, as if the world-shocking battle just now was nothing more than a breeze brushing his face, nothing more than a drizzle wetting his clothes, not worth mentioning.

He turned around.

Finally, he cast his gaze for the first time, truly, calmly, and profoundly, towards the three figures below who seemed to have been petrified.

His gaze lingered on Luo Xiaojiu for a moment—her face was stained with blood, her hair was messy like a waterfall, her clothes were damaged beyond repair, miserable to the extreme, fragile to the extreme.

But her eyes.

This pair of eyes, bright and shocking due to extreme shock, due to surviving a disaster, due to that figure descending from the sky, that pair of eyes that seemed to have gathered the stars of the sky, were staring straight at him, without blinking, for fear that he would disappear in the blink of an eye.

In her eyes, his figure was reflected, the sky-filling lightning was reflected, that heaven-shocking claw was reflected, reflecting a scene she would never be able to forget, never be able to describe, and never be able to repay in this lifetime.

In her eyes, there were tears, there was light, there were thousands of words, there were all kinds of emotions, but they all turned into a silent gaze.

And this black-clad figure, that Thunder deity, that youth who crushed and killed her enemy under the gaze of ten thousand races, who saved her life between life and death, as the sky-filling killing intent was about to surge, turned around, and the first sentence he asked her—

Was not questioning, not indifferent, not aloof.

Instead—

It was three words as plain as water, yet as warm as spring:

"Can you still move?"