314: His physical strength is extraordinary, and his mental cultivation is even more unfathomable!

As the dust slowly settled, Chen Nian withdrew his hand, looking as if he had only done something trivial.

The battlefield was thick with the scent of blood and charred remains, but at this moment, no one had the time to care about the remnants of those Demonic Evils.

After a brief, dead silence.

A middle-aged man wearing a Spiritual Energy Bureau combat uniform and carrying the rank of major was the first to snap back to his senses.

He was the on-site commander of this frontline operation, the captain of the Northwest War Zone's Third Task Force, Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and awe churning in his heart.

He quickly walked to a point three paces in front of Chen Nian, stood at attention, and straightened his body.

With a crisp 'snap,' he gave a standard and powerful military salute.

"Special Commissioner Chen! Wang Zhen, Captain of the Northwest War Zone's Third Task Force, reporting to you!"

His voice was loud and clear, carrying the characteristic sonorous quality of a soldier.

But if one listened closely, a faint, imperceptible tremor could be detected—a shiver born of both excitement and reverence.

Wang Zhen's action seemed to flip a switch, and all the members of the Spiritual Energy Bureau present woke up as if from a dream.

They snapped to attention and saluted in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, their eyes filled with fervent admiration.

"Special Commissioner Chen!"

"Greetings, Special Commissioner Chen!"

The voices merged into a torrent, filled with heartfelt respect.

Seeing this, the powerhouses from various sects also came back to their senses one after another.

Though they did not adhere to military salutes, they each paid their respects to Chen Nian using their sect's most solemn etiquette.

Fairy Ling Shuang of Kunlun Ruins sheathed her long sword, cupped her fists, and bowed slightly: "Ling Shuang of Kunlun, greetings to Senior Chen."

Sword Without Trace of Shushan also performed a sword salute, his expression solemn: "Sword Without Trace of Shushan, pays respects to Senior Chen."

The old Taoist with an immortal air also bowed with hands clasped: "Zhang Mingyuan of Dragon Tiger Mountain, greetings to little friend Chen... no, Senior Chen!"

Even the burly Kunlun Body Cultivator put away his joking manner, cupped his fists, and bowed, his voice like a great bell: "Bear Fierce of Kunlun, greetings to Senior Chen!"

For a moment, various forms of etiquette were displayed in the field, making the atmosphere solemn yet enthusiastic.

The way everyone looked at Chen Nian was filled with indescribably complex emotions.

There was the shock of witnessing god-like power, the excitement of being in the presence of a legendary figure, and even more, gratitude for his casual intervention.

Faced with their greetings, Chen Nian only nodded slightly, his tone calm and modest:

"No need for such formalities, everyone. Resisting foreign enemies together is simply my duty. You have all worked hard as well."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a steady power that put people at ease.

Everyone was stunned by his words.

They had originally thought that someone like Chen Nian, who possessed world-destroying power and a record as brilliant as a god's,

would surely be high and mighty, possessing a deep and heavy majesty.

Perhaps even aloof and cold, difficult to approach.

But at this moment, Chen Nian's posture was upright, and his expression was indifferent.

His gaze was calm, and his temperament was as gentle as jade.

Although he had just slaughtered Demonic Evils with thunderous methods,

he now showed no trace of hostility, instead giving off an approachable sense of warmth.

This sharp contrast caught everyone somewhat off guard.

"This... Senior Chen is actually so... approachable?" Fairy Ling Shuang thought to herself, her eyes widening slightly.

She had met many Seniors and masters.

Among them, many had eccentric personalities and put on great airs.

Someone like Chen Nian, who was both powerful and modest, was truly rare.

Without a doubt, this was a true powerhouse!

Sword Without Trace was also shaken, his heart filled with immense surprise:

"With such strength, yet not a hint of arrogance. Is this the true meaning of 'the Great Dao is simple' and 'returning to one's true self'?"

The old Taoist Zhang Mingyuan stroked his beard and sighed with emotion:

"A modest gentleman, gentle as jade. Senior Chen's strength not only reaches the heavens, but his mental cultivation is even more unfathomable!"

In an instant, everyone's impression of Chen Nian shifted from simply being peerlessly powerful and unfathomable.

It quietly gained a touch of being modest and amiable.

That natural sense of distance created by the disparity in strength seemed to dissolve slightly under his gentle attitude.

However, Chen Nian did not dwell too much on the crowd's respect.

He turned his gaze toward Soul Burial Valley.

The dark red Barrier shrouding the valley still emitted heart-palpitating waves of evil.

"What is the situation inside now?" Chen Nian asked directly.

His tone remained flat, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of authority.

Hearing this, everyone immediately snapped out of it and entered a state of readiness.

Captain Wang Zhen immediately stepped forward, his expression becoming serious again as he reported clearly:

"Special Commissioner Chen, according to our previous reconnaissance and energy detection, the situation is extremely grave."

He pointed to the dark red pillar of light shooting into the sky above Soul Burial Valley, as well as the phantom images of Vengeful Spirits wailing and circling on the Barrier's surface:

"The Lord of Curses has arrived in person and is conducting an ultimate ritual called the 'Myriad Curses Corrosion Realm' at the very bottom of the valley."

"This ritual aims to gather the negative energy accumulated over ten thousand years in this realm—such as resentment and hatred—and condense it into a 'World-Ending Curse Seal'."

"Once the seal is complete, the Lord of Curses will be able to control the negative authority of this realm, greatly increasing his strength. He might even be able to remotely curse and kill powerhouses through the Law of Curses."

"More importantly, the ritual will significantly weaken the world Barrier, opening a passage for the subsequent descent of the Abyssal army!"

Wang Zhen paused, a heavy look appearing on his face:

"From the energy reactions, the ritual has entered its final stage, and the curse seal is rapidly taking shape."

"We tried attacking this Barrier before, but its defensive power is extremely strong. The Law of Curses it contains can corrode and deflect our attacks. Conventional means are almost unable to shake it."

"If this continues, I'm afraid it won't be long before the ritual is completed, and the consequences will be unimaginable!"

The other powerhouses all nodded in agreement.

The old Taoist Zhang Mingyuan added:

"Senior Chen, this Barrier is called the 'Myriad Grudge Barrier'. It uses ten thousand years of resentment as its foundation and the Law of Curses as its skeleton."

"It is exceptionally sturdy and can lash back at attackers."

"To break it by force, one must use pure power that far exceeds its tolerance limit to shatter it instantly."

"Otherwise, one will be continuously worn down and corroded by it, and it might even trigger a curse backlash against oneself. You must handle this with caution."

Everyone spoke one after another, quickly explaining the situation, their faces filled with anxiety and worry.

Clearly, they all believed this Barrier was extremely troublesome and required a long-term plan and careful handling.

At this moment, everyone looked toward Chen Nian.

Although they had confidence in Chen Nian's strength,

the Barrier before them and the situation inside the valley were clearly not things that could be easily resolved.

However, after hearing the report, Chen Nian only gave a soft "oh."

Instead of looking grave, a playful smile appeared on his face.

He looked up and sized up the massive dark red Barrier, as if he were simply admiring an interesting toy.

"So that's how it is. A turtle shell formed by gathering ten thousand years of resentment?"

He chuckled, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the seasoning of a dish:

"It sounds quite intimidating."

"But since it dares to block the way, then I'll just break it."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire field was shocked!

Wh... What?!

Just break it?!

Senior Chen said that far too easily!

That was a super Barrier personally set up by the Lord of Curses and fused with the Laws of the Abyss!

They had just combined the strength of all the powerhouses present and bombarded it for a long time, yet they couldn't even make it shake violently!

Special Commissioner Chen actually said... he'd just break it?

This... what kind of confidence and strength must one have?!

But then they thought about the person before them being Chen Nian.

The one who had single-handedly flattened demon dens.

The one who had killed ancient demons in an instant with a wave of his hand.

The peerless god of slaughter who even made the Abyssal Overlord tremble with fear.

It seemed... that him saying such words wasn't entirely impossible?

In an instant, everyone's curiosity was piqued to the maximum.

Their hearts pounded wildly, and their gazes were locked tightly onto Chen Nian.

They all wanted to see with their own eyes what kind of earth-shattering method this unfathomable guardian deity of the Dragon Kingdom

would use to break this seemingly indestructible 'Myriad Grudge Barrier'!

In the next second, under everyone's tense, expectant, and disbelief-filled gazes, Chen Nian moved.

Chen Nian didn't say anything more.

Under the breath-holding gaze of everyone, he slowly raised his right hand.

No hand seals or incantations, no gathering of Aura, not even the use of any brilliant spiritual light.

He simply and plainly...

...aimed at the dark red Barrier in front of him that shrouded the entire valley and emitted soaring Evil Energy...

...and threw a punch!