206: A swift and deadly strike, the moment to close the net.

Time was stretched infinitely in the intervals between the thunderclaps.

In the center of the Accumulated Thunder Pool, that purple light shield was guarding the ten-thousand-year thunder tribulation fluid.

The radiance upon it flickered unsteadily; every flash was dimmer than the last.

Ten breaths at most.

Chen Daoping lay in wait within the shadow of a Thunder-Struck Stone, his heart like a still well, calculating precisely.

Thunder Fiend and Wind Fiend's array breaking had reached the most critical moment.

Their entire focus was poured into the grand array composed of eighty-one Formation Flags; their perception of the outside world had dropped to the freezing point.

This was the best opportunity.

Chen Daoping's will transformed into a silent command.

Strike!

...Poison Fiend, entrenched in the poison mist, was boredly fiddling with a ghastly green Poison Banner fluttering before him.

He didn't notice at all that deep within the pitch-black reef beneath his feet, which was soaked in Thunder Slurry.

A faint blue thread, thinner than a strand of hair, had already been lurking silently for a long time.

At the moment he became distracted, looking toward the light shield in the center of the thunder pool that was about to shatter, a hint of greed appeared in his eyes.

That faint blue thread moved.

There was no fluctuation of mana, no sound of breaking through the air.

It was like a drop of water merging into the ocean, silently penetrating the barrier of the reef.

Then, it erupted without warning!

Puchi!

A muffled sound so slight it was almost negligible.

The greed on Poison Fiend's face froze; he instinctively lowered his head.

He only saw a flash of faint blue emerging from his chest, bringing with it a spray of dark green blood.

He opened his mouth, wanting to issue a warning, wanting to summon his Poison Banner.

But that faint blue thread nimbly looped around at an inconceivable angle.

From bottom to top, it directly pierced through his crown.

His eyes widened, and the light in them vanished instantly, like a candle flame blown out by a gale.

His life force was severed.

The Poison Banner he had refined for hundreds of years slipped from his stiff hand.

It fell into the boiling Thunder Slurry, failing to even make a splash before being torn to shreds by the violent thunder power... In the same instant!

Another Profound Water Sword Silk was also aimed at Illusion Fiend, who was sitting lazily on a green stone.

However, just as the sword silk was about to pierce through her heart from behind.

Illusion Fiend's figure actually shattered into a sky full of light and shadow with a 'pop', like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror.

Her true body appeared out of thin air on a reef a hundred zhang away, her face showing a hint of lingering fear.

She was indeed a Cultivator skilled in illusions; her perception of danger far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Her reaction could not be said to be slow.

But it was still too late.

Just as her true body manifested and before she could even catch her breath.

A strange low growl exploded without warning deep within her Sea of Consciousness.

"Gua!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an irresistible suppressive force originating from the depths of the Soul.

Soul-Suppressing Demonic Sound!

Illusion Fiend's fleeing figure suddenly stalled.

It was this stall!

Life and death were decided in an instant.

That faint blue sword silk, like a maggot on a bone, tore through the Void Realm and accurately caught up with her true body.

It nimbly bypassed the layers of protective Magic Treasures on the female Cultivator, without triggering any Restrictions.

Puchi!

It pierced straight through her heart from behind.

The expression of intermingled terror and shock on Illusion Fiend's face froze completely.

She slowly lowered her head, looking at the faint blue blood flower blooming on her chest, her eyes filled with incomprehensible confusion.

Until her life force had completely drained away, she still didn't understand.

What exactly could ignore her illusions and instantly imprison her Divine Soul... In the same instant that Poison Fiend and Illusion Fiend were obliterated.

Chen Daoping also faced the opponent he needed to take seriously, Blood Butcher.

He did not use a Flying Sword.

Against a Body Cultivator who had tempered their Physical Body to the extreme, any Spells or Flying Swords were not as effective as the most primitive and pure power.

Boom!

Another earth-shaking thunderclap exploded.

Chen Daoping's figure, aided by the cover of the lightning, was like a cannonball leaving the barrel, tearing through the viscous Thunder Slurry.

With an unreasonable posture, he crashed straight into that blood-colored figure standing like a mountain.

"Who?!"

Blood Butcher's combat intuition was terrifyingly strong.

Even in this environment, he still sensed a fatal threat the moment Chen Daoping moved.

He suddenly turned his head, and his scarlet pupils reflected a rapidly enlarging, sallow, sickly face.

Fast!

Too fast!

He didn't even have time to make any defensive moves and could only rely on his combat instincts.

He hurriedly raised his arms, crossing them in front of his chest.

In the next moment.

Chen Daoping's seemingly thin body collided violently with Blood Butcher's burly, tower-like physique.

Chen Daoping didn't even use his fists; instead, he held his fingers together like a blade.

Against Blood Butcher's blocking arms, he chopped down cleanly!

"Crack!"

A tooth-aching sound of bone cracking resounded clearly amidst the thunder.

Blood Butcher's arms, which were strong enough to withstand a Third-Tier Magic Treasure, along with the blood-shining Protective Treasure Armor on his body.

Were actually severed together by a single Hand-Blade strike from Chen Daoping.

Broken bones mixed with shattered armor plates splashed in all directions!

"Ugh, ah!"

Intense pain hit him, and Blood Butcher was horrified!

What the hell is this monster!

Is this really power a Golden Core Cultivator can possess!

He opened his mouth, instinctively about to let out an earth-shaking roar to warn his distant companions.

However, Chen Daoping's other hand was like a pair of red-hot iron pincers.

Arriving later but striking first, it accurately gripped his throat.

All sound was firmly blocked in his windpipe.

"Wu... wu..."

Blood Butcher struggled violently, his eyes filled with terror and despair.

But Chen Daoping's hand remained motionless.

At the same time.

A refined to the extreme, invisible and intangible Divine Sense spike pierced fiercely into Blood Butcher's chaotic Sea of Consciousness.

Nirvana Divine Light!

"Ah—!"

Blood Butcher felt as if his head was being pierced through the middle by a red-hot iron rod and then stirred frantically.

His consciousness fell into a momentary blank.

Now!

On the hand Chen Daoping used to grip his throat, a green glow flashed at the fingertips.

A wisp of extremely pure and overbearing Yimu Divine Thunder power followed his fingertips.

It entered his body and instantly rushed into Blood Butcher's Dantian.

Chila!

That blood-colored Golden Core, which he had tempered a thousand times and was as hard as diamond, was as fragile as paper before the Yimu Divine Thunder.

In just an instant, it was completely blown apart by the violent thunder power, turning into fine powder.

Immediately after, that destructive power spread frantically along his Meridians throughout his body.

Three breaths.

From the moment Chen Daoping struck to the moment Blood Butcher completely lost his life force.

Neither more nor less, exactly three breaths.

A powerful Body Cultivator at the Perfected Golden Core stage and two at the Late Golden Core Stage were thus completely erased from this world without a sound.

Chen Daoping released his grip, letting Blood Butcher's massive body collapse limply.

Expressionlessly, he removed the storage pouches from the three people's waists, scanned them with his Divine Sense, and confirmed everything was correct.

Then, he flicked his finger.

Three dark green flames floated out slowly, landing precisely on the three corpses.

Chiii—

The flames were not large, but they were peerlessly overbearing.

In just one breath, the three corpses, along with the Magic Robes and severed arms on them, were burned to ashes.

The gale swept through, the Thunder Slurry surged, and all traces were wiped clean.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water and incredibly fast.

In the center of the distant thunder pool, Thunder Fiend and Wind Fiend were staring intently at the light shield that was about to shatter, their faces overflowing with the joy of impending success.

They didn't notice at all that their three most relied-upon brothers had already vanished into thin air.

Chen Daoping's figure merged back into the shadow of the Thunder-Struck Stone, as if he had never appeared.

His gaze passed through layers of lightning, falling upon the center of the thunder pool.

The purple light shield guarding the ten-thousand-year thunder tribulation fluid there was down to its final thin layer, teetering on the brink and liable to go out at any moment.

"It's about time."

"Time to close the net," Chen Daoping whispered, his voice cold.