Chapter 447 - 230: Once a Formidable Foe? A Mere Ant Today

Chapter 447: Chapter 230: Once a Formidable Foe? A Mere Ant Today

The flames danced, lacking the explosive crackle of an ordinary fire. Instead, they possessed a deathly, viscous quality and a greed that sought to devour all.

It was, unmistakably, the Nine Nether Yin Fire!

The moment the flames touched him, they clung like a festering poison. No matter how Monk Xuanbei tried to beat them back with his True Essence, deploy the Buddhist Sect’s Fire-Extinguishing Divine Techniques, or even lash out with his own blood essence, he couldn’t snuff out even a single flicker.

The crimson flames seemed alive. They burrowed into his body through his pores and acupoints, frantically burning his flesh and bone, and even the True Essence he had worked so hard to cultivate.

"AGGHHH—!!!" ℯℯ𝑙.

The indescribable pain made Monk Xuanbei let out an inhuman, shrill scream. He rolled wildly on the ground, trying to smother the flames, but it was all in vain.

In the blink of an eye, Monk Xuanbei’s solemn monastic robes turned to ash. His skin blackened and peeled back, and he quickly became a writhing, struggling crimson figure engulfed in flames. The air filled with the stench of burnt flesh mixed with a strange, cold, burning smell.

Chen Sheng stood on the steps before the hall, his hands clasped behind his back. His dark official robes were immaculate, his gaze calm and unwavering as he watched the figure struggling in the fire.

Things were different now.

With his mid-stage Profound Mastery, Thunder Sound Realm cultivation, augmented by a Second Realm Mental Realm, his power had already undergone a heaven-and-earth-shaking transformation.

Suppressing an ordinary mid-stage Profound Mastery expert was now a trivial matter for him.

Watching the formidable foe who had once placed immense pressure on him, forcing him to lie low in the Jingwu Bureau, now struggle as helplessly as an infant before him, Chen Sheng felt little joy, only a natural sense of calm and a faint satisfaction in his mastery of power.

But to Nie Xuanfeng, Li Qianzhou, and Xie Jingze, who had followed him out, this scene was like a clap of thunder on a clear day.

From Chen Sheng’s sudden attack to Monk Xuanbei being swallowed by crimson flames, screaming and rolling on the ground, only three to five breaths had passed!

A First Seat of Golden Spring Temple, a Buddhist Sect expert at mid-stage Profound Mastery, had been completely crushed in a flash, unable to fight back at all?

Just moments ago, when Chen Sheng had made his move, Nie Xuanfeng and Li Qianzhou had even secretly gathered their energy, ready to assist at a moment’s notice to ensure a quick battle and avoid complications.

And yet, before they could even fully circulate their Gang Qi, the battle... was already over?

Li Qianzhou’s eyes went wide. He stared intently at the wretched figure engulfed in flames, then at Chen Sheng, who stood on the steps with an unshakable, profound presence. He swallowed unconsciously.

’I’m at the peak of mid-stage Profound Mastery myself,’ he thought. ’I’m confident I could defeat Xuanbei, but to suppress him so cleanly, so effortlessly... almost as if toying with him? That would be impossible for me.’

’Doesn’t this mean Chen Sheng’s power is now a clear step above my own?’

At this thought, the superficial obedience Li Qianzhou had shown Chen Sheng because of his rank now quietly gave way to genuine awe and reverence.

Even Nie Xuanfeng, whose cultivation had already reached late-stage Profound Mastery, wore an incredibly grave expression. His burning gaze scrutinized Chen Sheng’s back.

The terrifying burst of vital energy when Chen Sheng attacked, the sharp edge of the dual Mental Realms that made even his own skin tingle...

All of it had exceeded his expectations.

Chen Sheng’s increase in power was simply terrifying.

Nie Xuanfeng quickly calculated in his mind. ’If I fought this Chen Sheng to the death, what would my odds be?’

The conclusion made his palms break out in a cold sweat.

A dozen or so breaths later, Monk Xuanbei’s agonizing cries had faded to an inaudible whisper. His aura was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind. The crimson flames still burned silently, as if determined to incinerate every trace of his existence into nothingness.

Only then did Chen Sheng raise a hand and make a grasping motion in the air.

The sea of crimson flames seemed sentient, rolling back into wisps of blood-red light that all flowed into his palm and vanished.

Before the steps, only a charred black body, curled up like a shrimp, remained. It was barely recognizable as a human form. Its life force was nearly extinguished, with only the faintest rise and fall of its chest proving it still clung to a single breath.

Chen Sheng’s expression was indifferent. His gaze swept over the black iron chains hanging from a nearby corridor pillar, chains used for binding dangerous criminals.

With a casual wave of his hand, the chains flew toward him with a RATTLE.

Then, Chen Sheng slowly walked forward and mercilessly clamped the heavy shackles at the end of the chain onto the fragile vertebrae of Monk Xuanbei’s charred neck.

"CRACK."

The faint sound of bone cracking was enough to set one’s teeth on edge.

Having done this, Chen Sheng picked up the other end of the chain, as if dragging a dead dog, and turned to face Nie Xuanfeng and the other two, who were still reeling from shock.

"With Xuanbei’s arrival, the time is ripe."

Chen Sheng’s voice was not loud, but it carried a resolve as sharp as clashing steel, echoing clearly in the silent forecourt of the Prefecture Government Office:

"There’s no time to waste. Governor Nie, General Li, assemble your men according to the plan we just discussed. Prepare to move out!"

Then, Chen Sheng paused, his gaze shifting toward the distant Danxia Sect.

"I will head to the Danxia Sect first to mobilize our three factions."

Before his voice had even faded, Chen Sheng, dragging the half-dead Monk Xuanbei, transformed into a blurry streak of black light and shot into the sky.

His figure vanished from above the Prefecture Government Office in an instant, leaving behind only a fading, cold trail in the air and the shocking scorch marks and bloodstains on the ground.

A dead silence fell before the main hall.

After a long moment, Li Qianzhou finally let out a long breath, his voice dry and filled with unconcealable shock.

"That was... unbelievable."

Nie Xuanfeng retracted his gaze from the distant sky. His eyes had become incredibly sharp and resolute. He clapped Li Qianzhou firmly on the shoulder and said in a low voice:

"Enough talk! Get back to the Military Preparation Army barracks and follow orders. This time... we will destroy Golden Spring Temple. We’ll wipe them out completely!"

With that, Nie Xuanfeng moved, darting toward the Jingwu Bureau like a gust of wind.

Li Qianzhou dared not delay any longer. He took one last deep look in the direction Chen Sheng had disappeared, then turned and strode away with purpose, heading for the Military Preparation Army barracks.

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