Chapter 588 - 584: Poking a Hole in the Heavens

Chapter 588: Chapter 584: Poking a Hole in the Heavens

In the Hundred Thousand Mountains, a terrifying Devil Beast reeking of blood exploded the moment the hand seal descended.

Within the same expanse of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, two figures flew through the air, their destination the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

At the very moment the hand seal pressed down, one of the two figures instantly exploded.

The other plummeted down into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

A moment later, the man staggered to his feet, trembling. He glanced around wildly before finally calling out in the direction of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion, "I... I am from the Aurora Secret Sect! I mean no harm! I am only here on the Sect Leader’s orders!"

His voice carried far, but only silence answered.

He waited for several long minutes before scrambling to his feet and bolting in the direction opposite the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

He moved with incredible speed.

A few dozen breaths later, he was already out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Only then did he finally stop, letting out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

His face was now covered in tiny, dense beads of sweat.

Wiping a hand across his brow, he glanced back in the direction of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion, his eyes wide with terror. ’A Spirit Transformation Realm Martial Artist... erased without a single warning. That’s horrifying!’

’Still, that bastard had it coming. He did a lot of evil.’ A look of grim satisfaction appeared on the man’s face as he let out another breath.

The next moment, a gust of wind rustled past. The man cried out in alarm and vanished in a flash.

Witnessing a Spirit Transformation Realm Martial Artist be silently obliterated in the Hundred Thousand Mountains had already scared him out of his wits.

That Lin Hao could possess such terrifying might after only his initial comprehension of the Fudo Myoo Seal was truly horrifying.

Outside the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion, Lin Hao, suspended in the void, suddenly snapped his eyes open.

Nothing that had just transpired in the Hundred Thousand Mountains had escaped his Spiritual Sense.

Lin Hao looked at his own hands, finding it hard to believe.

’That was definitely a Tier Four Devil Beast. And that martial artist from the Aurora Secret Sect was at the Spirit Transformation Realm, at the very least. Yet they both exploded the instant my hand seal manifested.’

’This Fudo Myoo Seal is absolutely terrifying!’

Recalling its awesome power, Lin Hao closed his eyes once more.

’He wanted to see if he could truly unleash the Fudo Myoo Seal again with the same power as before.’

A moment later, Lin Hao opened his eyes, shaking his head with a wry smile.

’He had only been able to grasp the Fudo Myoo Seal while in that mysterious, enlightened state. To use it again would consume an immense amount of power.’

’At my current level, I could form the seal once at most, and it would drain more than half of my True Essence.’

’Comprehension is one thing; application is another entirely.’

But after shaking his head, Lin Hao’s mood brightened.

’I’ve only comprehended a small fraction of the "Lin" incantation, yet the Fudo Myoo Seal it produces already possesses such might. As my understanding deepens, the power of my hand seal will surely become even more terrifying.’

Composing himself, Lin Hao’s gaze shifted and fell upon Duanmu Ci.

When Lin Hao had first unleashed the Fudo Myoo Seal, it had directly obliterated Duanmu Ci’s Divine Soul. And yet, Duanmu Ci had not died.

Logically, there should have been no escape for Duanmu Ci, but he possessed a powerful protective artifact.

It was an ancient token.

Just as the Fudo Myoo Seal was about to obliterate Duanmu Ci, the ancient token had shielded him.

In the end, the token shattered, but Duanmu Ci’s life had been spared.

When the token shattered, Duanmu Ci had a window of opportunity to flee, but he remained motionless, seemingly scared witless.

In truth, Duanmu Ci wasn’t stunned senseless, but he was close.

The token he carried had an extraordinary origin. It had been created by a Martial Artist at the Spirit Transformation Realm Peak through Refining, modeled after an original token belonging to the Celestial Martial Saint.

Though it was a replica, it could withstand a full-powered blow from a Martial Artist at the Second Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Yet this very token had shattered instantly under Lin Hao’s hand seal.

How could Duanmu Ci not be completely stupefied by this?!

After all, Lin Hao was only in the Soul Gathering Realm!

Although the Ninth Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm was incredibly close to the Spirit Transformation Realm, the gap between them was as wide as a heavenly chasm.

Spirit Transformation Realm Martial Artists comprehended the power of a Martial Dao Domain. Without a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact in hand, even dozens of Martial Artists at the Ninth Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm would stand no chance against a single Martial Artist at the Spirit Transformation Realm First Layer.

But Lin Hao’s hand seal had shattered the token completely. It was simply unheard-of.

Having personally witnessed such a terrifying event, Duanmu Ci felt as if the very blood in his veins had frozen solid.

However, the instant Lin Hao’s gaze fell upon him, Duanmu Ci snapped back to his senses.

Lin Hao’s gaze was calm, but Duanmu Ci couldn’t even muster the courage to meet it.

He now felt a soul-deep reverence for Lin Hao.

This was the terrifying aftereffect of the Fudo Myoo Seal.

Without another word, Lin Hao moved to strike Duanmu Ci.

"Brother Lin, stop!" At that moment, a voice rang out.

The next instant, a figure appeared in the void, blocking Lin Hao’s path.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing the newcomer.

The arrival was a young man, one Lin Hao had seen before in the starting zone of the Divinity Realm.

Li Haoran of the Celestial Sword Holy Land.

"Who are you?" Lin Hao asked. He hadn’t revealed his true face in the Divinity Realm’s starting zone, so he naturally feigned ignorance upon seeing Li Haoran.

"My apologies, Brother Lin," Li Haoran said as he retreated. "You simply bear a striking resemblance to an old friend. I haven’t seen him in a long time, not since we parted ways in the Divinity Realm."

Though he had withdrawn, his voice continued, this time via a private spiritual message:

"I didn’t come to stop you. It’s just, Duanmu Ci’s background is extraordinary. You just killed Tuoba Yangyu, so the Aurora Secret Sect is sure to come after you. If you kill Duanmu Ci, the Celestial Martial Holy Land will launch a full-scale invasion. With both a Secret Sect and a Holy Land on the move, I’m afraid even the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion would be forced to hand you over."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Lin Hao transmitted back, "but I’ve always lived by a simple principle: I don’t bother anyone who doesn’t bother me. At this point, it makes no difference whether I kill him or not." Lin Hao had a decent impression of Li Haoran, so he returned the courtesy of a private message.

’In truth, there was something Lin Hao didn’t mention to Li Haoran: the Jinglian Saint Institute would soon be on the move as well.’

’The Saint Institute, the Holy Land, and the Secret Sect... they would all be arriving soon.’

As Lin Hao sent his reply, he struck at Duanmu Ci without hesitation.

With his Divine Soul already destroyed, Duanmu Ci was like an ant before Lin Hao, utterly incapable of resistance.

Lin Hao struck, and another life was extinguished.

In front of the Holy Hall, the Second Elder shook his head, his expression strange. "None of the other Divine Bodies or the Harmony Dominator Body have fallen since joining the pavilion. But this kid? He just got to the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion and has already poked a hole in the sky."

Wan Boyan also spoke up. "The Aurora Secret Sect and the Celestial Martial Holy Land will both be arriving at the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion shortly. This boy has handed us a monumental problem."

"You’ve forgotten one power," the Third Elder said, his voice cutting in. "The Jinglian Saint Institute. They control the world’s Spiritual Artifacts. Tuoba Yangyu’s Aurora Ruler came from the Jinglian Saint Institute, yet Lin Hao was able to shatter its power with a hand seal. I believe the day is not far when the Jinglian Saint Institute itself will emerge."

At the mere mention of the Jinglian Saint Institute, the expressions of all the elders present changed...