101: Chapter 101 Come on, I'll give you three moves.
Right at that moment.
Buzz——!!
An aura a hundred times more overbearing than the nine Domain Kings combined rose from the direction of the Heavenly Snake Imperial City.
As soon as this aura appeared, the heavens and earth changed color, and the clouds churned backwards.
A thousand-meter-long phantom of a giant snake manifested in the sky. The giant snake had horns on its head and massive eyes; even as a mere projection, it caused the space within a thousand-mile radius to tremble.
"Who... dares to kill my descendants?"
The ancient and majestic voice vibrated so hard that Lin Fan's eardrums began to bleed.
"This aura..."
Lin Fan's expression changed drastically, his hair standing on end.
This was definitely not the Domain King Realm!
Was this... an existence at that level?!
"Earth Sovereign!!"
An anxious roar came from the distance.
Wu Jianba, covered in blood and with terror in his single eye, came rushing toward them.
"Lin Fan!! Run!! That's a projection of the Heavenly Snake Clan's Earth Sovereign!!"
Wu Jianba rushed to Lin Fan's side and, without a word, grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Go!!"
Boom!
Wu Jianba burned his essence blood to perform a Blood Escape Technique, transforming into a streak of bloody light as he fled with Lin Fan at high speed.
"Hmph, trying to leave?"
The thousand-meter giant snake phantom gave a cold snort and spat out a beam of black light.
Bang!!
Even though they were dozens of miles away, and even though it was just a shockwave.
Wu Jianba and Lin Fan were still shaken until they spat out fresh blood, crashing into the distance.
"Cough, cough..."
Lin Fan crawled up from the ground, feeling as if every bone in his body was falling apart.
"What the hell was that thing?!"
Lin Fan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face full of horror.
He was currently at the fourth level of the True Dragon Tyrant Body! To think he couldn't even withstand the shockwave of a mere projection?!
"That was an Earth Sovereign!"
Wu Jianba explained while spitting blood as he dragged Lin Fan along in a wild run, "Above the Domain King is the Earth Sovereign! Those are existences who truly master the rules of heaven and earth! They can amplify their own essence energy dozens of times over, and even borrow the power of heaven and earth!"
"Earth Sovereign..."
Lin Fan's heart shook violently.
"Don't be afraid, our human race has them too!"
Wu Jianba gritted his teeth and said, "This is just a projection; its true body cannot cross over! The real battlefield... is not here!"
"Not here?" Lin Fan was stunned. "Then where is it?"
"In the spatial rifts!!"
Wu Jianba pointed toward the distant horizon, where there were eighteen massive black rifts.
"There... is the core battlefield between the myriad races and our human race! It is also the key to where the Saints sealed the myriad races!"
Wu Jianba spoke at lightning speed, as if giving his final instructions.
"Lin Fan, listen well!"
"The so-called sacrifice of the Saints was only a temporary measure! Those alien races are frantically attacking the seals, trying to open the passages!"
"And around those spatial rifts... there are ruins left behind by the Saints, and even treasures that surpass the Saints!"
"That is the true battlefield for the Domain King Realm! Hidden there is the hope for the survival of our human race, and also... the opportunity to surpass the Saints!!"
Boom!!
Lin Fan's brain roared.
An opportunity to surpass the Saints?!
So... this was the truth of this world?!
He looked back at the receding giant snake phantom, then at the eighteen rifts hanging high in the sky.
Lin Fan clenched his fists. The fear in his eyes vanished, replaced by an unprecedented ambition and fighting spirit.
"Earth Sovereign, huh... spatial rifts, huh..."
"Just wait."
"Sooner or later, I will fight my way up there!"
On the landing pad of Zhen Yao City, there was now a sea of people.
"They're here! The hero has returned!"
As the heavily damaged battleship slowly descended, the tens of thousands of citizens and soldiers who had been waiting for a long time instantly erupted. The cheers were deafening, rising wave after wave.
The hatch opened.
Lin Fan followed behind Wu Jianba, and as soon as he poked his head out, he was startled by the scale of the reception.
Below, flowers fell like rain and colorful flags fluttered. Qin Mie, Zhao Baichuan, Liu Haoran, and other high-ranking officials were all standing neatly at the end of the red carpet, their faces full of gratification.
"This setup... is a bit grand."
Lin Fan scratched his head and whispered, "If I didn't know better, I'd think I was being coronated."
"Stop being cheeky."
Wu Jianba looked back and glared at him, his single eye narrowing into a slit. "This is what you deserve. Fighting nine Domain Kings alone and killing five—this record is unique in the entire history of the human race."
The two walked down the gangway.
"Salute!!"
Qin Mie shouted loudly.
Swish!
Every soldier present, regardless of rank, snapped a standard military salute toward that young figure.
This was respect for the strong, and even more so, a tribute to a hero.
"Cough, um..."
Faced with such a solemn and grave scene, Lin Fan actually felt a bit uncomfortable. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly pulled a massive object out of his space ring.
"Officers, elders, and fellow citizens! This is our first meeting, and I didn't bring much of a gift."
Lin Fan gave a simple smile. "Take these 'local specialties' and share them. They're great for stewing or grilling—very nourishing!"
Rumble!!
The hundred-meter-long corpse of a giant black python crashed heavily onto the red carpet, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Though the python was dead, the terrifying pressure belonging to a King Rank Fierce Beast remained, causing the reporters and citizens in the front row to scream and scramble backward.
"This... this is..."
Qin Mie looked at the familiar giant python, his eyes twitching madly. "Is this the Black Python King that guarded the Heavenly Snake Clan's holy land?!"
"A King Rank Fierce Beast?!"
The entire place exploded into an uproar.
"Holy crap! Did God Lin go there just to stock up on goods?!"
"Bringing back a King Rank Fierce Beast as a local specialty? That's too hardcore!"
"My mom asked why I'm watching the livestream on my knees... who the hell could handle this!"
The originally serious and touching atmosphere was instantly ruined by Lin Fan's move.
Zhao Baichuan and Liu Haoran looked at each other, seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. This kid really was a little master at ruining the mood.
"Alright, alright, put it away!"
Wu Jianba gave the snake corpse a frustrated kick. "That's strategic material. We'll calculate your merit points for it later!"
Saying that, he looked at Lin Fan, his fighting spirit rising.
"Kid, I heard you're in the Desolate Realm now too?"
Wu Jianba cracked his knuckles, producing a series of popping sounds. "Back in the Ten Thousand Snakes Grotto, we were running for our lives and didn't get to fight to our heart's content. Now that we're home, how about we... have a go?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.
Everyone's eyes widened, faces full of excitement.
The veteran Domain King Realm Expert Wu Jianba challenging the newly risen Human Saint, Lin Fan?
Now this was big news!
"Have a go?"
Lin Fan looked at the eager Wu Jianba. "Old Wu, are you sure? I don't know my own strength sometimes; if I accidentally break you..."
"Bullshit!"
Wu Jianba was laughed into a rage and ripped off his shirt, revealing lean muscles as hard as iron. "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! Don't think you're invincible just because you slaughtered a few knock-off Domain Kings. Today, I'll show you the meaning of 'the older the ginger, the spicier it is'!"
"Come! To the open ground outside the city!"
Wu Jianba's figure flickered as he charged directly out of the city.
"Sigh, you asked for it."
Lin Fan sighed and shook his head helplessly, his figure then vanishing from the spot.
...
Outside the city, at the Wilderness Martial Arts Field.
By now, it was surrounded by layers upon layers of spectators. Qin Mie and the others also stood on high ground, watching with great interest.
"Old Zhao, who are you betting on?" Qin Mie asked with a smile.
"Do you even need to ask?"
Zhao Baichuan curled his lip. "While Old Wu is tough as nails, that kid Lin Fan... is a freak."
In the field.
Wu Jianba held a massive alloy war blade, his blood and Qi surging as he released the full pressure of the Domain King Realm.
"Kid, show your weapon!"
"Using a weapon to fight you?"
Lin Fan put his hands behind his back with a punchable expression. "Come on, I'll give you three moves."
"Arrogant!!"
Wu Jianba was furious, his war blade whipping up a sky-covering storm. "Mountain Splitter!!"
Boom!!
A hundred-meter-long blade qi, carrying the power to cleave mountains and shatter rocks, slashed down toward Lin Fan's head. With this strike, Wu Jianba used eighty percent of his power—enough to instant-kill any peak Desolate Realm!