Chapter 488 - 486: Fleeing Before Battle

Zi Yanqian swallowed hard. Mu Junjie’s killing intent was palpable as the full might of his aura—that of the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage—erupted, pressing down on them like the sky itself. Zi Yanqian instantly felt the immense pressure.

In this battlefield teeming with geniuses, it would be a gross underestimation to think Mu Junjie’s only strength was his high Cultivation. This place was a gathering of all geniuses; those who had once considered themselves talented paled in comparison here.

Just then, Mu Junjie took out a Divine Artifact. Though exceedingly rare in the outside world, Divine Artifacts were not uncommon here. His was a Great Sword, seemingly of the Middle Grade Divine Artifact Level. It looked as if it weighed tens of thousands of pounds, yet in his hands, it was as light as a feather, swung about with ease.

With a casual swing—WHOOSH!—a deep trench was carved into the ground. Such was the ferocious power of a single, effortless motion.

"Th-this... Brother Lin, what are you doing? He’s covered head to toe in treasures! Can’t you see? Not only is the weapon in his hand a Divine Artifact, but the clothes he’s wearing are Divine Artifacts, too! Just look at that aura! Who knows how much Essence Blood it’s absorbed? His power is terrifying!" Zi Yanqian felt as if he were facing a behemoth decked out in treasure. ’How are we supposed to fight this?’

Mu Junjie was indeed covered in treasures. His clothes were truly of the Divine Artifact Level, making him virtually impervious to harm. Though its specific effects were unknown, they were surely terrifying. At the very least, its Defense Power had to be astounding. It might even reflect damage, killing an opponent with the rebound force of their own attack without Mu Junjie even needing to lift a finger.

Furthermore, his Physique was by no means weak. The more powerful the family, the more they understood the importance of one’s Physique.

"Covered in treasures?" Lin Xuan sneered. "That’s a phrase used to describe a pig. And I do think he’s a pig—a treasure from head to toe."

"Who are you calling a pig!?" Fury surged through Mu Junjie. No one had ever dared to speak to him that way. Who would ever hurl such an insult at someone so lofty and superior?

"I’m talking about you," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile. "Didn’t you hear what I just said? Or are your ears just for show?"

Zi Yanqian was dumbfounded. Lin Xuan truly feared nothing. He’d heard a rumor that Lin Xuan had even killed Xu Qianlong, though he didn’t know if it was true.

"Um, uh, I surrender! Brother Lin, you should surrender while you have the chance! If you wait, you’ll find out I was right!" Zi Yanqian quickly pulled out his Token and tossed it away without the slightest hesitation. A ray of light enveloped him the moment he threw it, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

This meant he had voluntarily surrendered, leaving this space and returning to the stronghold in Soaring Dragon City. He had fled just like that, without a moment’s hesitation. The action made Lin Xuan frown, but he quickly let it go. He was used to this sort of thing. It was clear Zi Yanqian didn’t trust him, so of course he would run at the first opportunity.

If a real fight broke out, he might not even have the chance to throw his Token. So, he took advantage of this lull to escape first.

At the same time, the Teleportation Array in Soaring Dragon City lit up, and Zi Yanqian appeared before Qing Deyun and the others.

This sudden development stunned them. ’Weren’t things going fine?’ they wondered. ’Why is Zi Yanqian back?’

"What happened? Why are you back? Did you run into danger?" Zi Yanyun frowned, already guessing the situation wasn’t good.

’If the situation wasn’t critical,’ he thought, ’my son would never have chosen to flee.’

"Yes. We went up against someone from the Celestial Successor Empire. His Cultivation is at the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage, and he’s covered in Divine Artifacts..." Zi Yanqian sighed. "I told Brother Lin to surrender, but he refused. He even provoked the guy. I’m afraid his chances are slim to none."

"Someone from the Celestial Successor Empire, and at the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage?" Elder De’s expression changed. He sighed. "It’s just as I expected. We’ve lost in the end. Never mind the three-Layer difference in Cultivation; the main issue is that they’ve always been raised on the best resources. How could we possibly compare?"

The contestants from the Celestial Successor Empire were practically born with gold in their mouths. How could our people compare?

Qing Deyun, however, sneered. "Oh, it seems your choice was truly ’wise’!" He deliberately emphasized the word "wise." They, at least, were aware of Lin Xuan’s strength. Until the very end, there was no telling who would win.

Zi Yanyun’s expression also turned ugly. While he wasn’t fully aware of Lin Xuan’s capabilities, he had heard things. He never imagined his own son would flee the battlefield without a second thought, not even sticking around to see what would happen!

"Useless!" Zi Yanyun backhanded him across the face, roaring, "Why did you run?! Do you have so little faith in that Lin Xuan? You couldn’t even stay and watch for a few more seconds?!"

Zi Yanqian was stunned by the slap. He thought he had made a smart move; he never imagined he’d done something wrong.

"B-but... he’s an expert from the Celestial Successor Empire! If I had waited for Lin Xuan to lose before trying to escape, it would have been too late!" Zi Yanqian retorted. A hint of defiance flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t dare to resist further.

Had it been anyone else, he would have slapped them to death for such an offense.

"You dare talk back!" Zi Yanyun raged.

"Stop this!" Elder De snorted. "He’s not wrong. Acting all mighty in the Early Stage is one thing, but now, facing a contestant from the Celestial Successor Empire, we can only admit defeat..."

While they remained pessimistic about Lin Xuan, the tension on the battlefield had reached its breaking point.

"Haha, your companion is a real coward, running off just like that without daring to say another word. He made the wisest choice..." Without hesitation, Mu Junjie charged forward, sword in hand, his eyes glinting coldly. "But for you, the only outcome is death. There will be no chance to surrender!"

"Void Shattering God Slash!"

In the blink of an eye, he reached Lin Xuan and brought the Divine Artifact Level Great Sword crashing down. The strike tore a void in the very space around them, threatening to envelop Lin Xuan completely.

But just as the Great Sword descended, Lin Xuan moved even faster. He threw a punch, unleashing a tremor of Space Power. A golden light, laced with the ultimate chill of the Yulan Sacred Fire, blasted toward Mu Junjie’s chest.

BOOM!

Mu Junjie was sent flying by the punch, skidding a long way back before he finally ground to a halt. He wasn’t seriously injured—his chest was only slightly caved in. His robes shimmered with golden light, having nullified the vast majority of the force. Truly worthy of being Divine Artifact Level clothing.

’Th-that speed!’ Mu Junjie was aghast. He never imagined Lin Xuan could be a step ahead of him, fast enough to send him flying before his Great Sword even landed, completely breaking his attack.

However, his face was slightly flushed, and he tasted a faint sweetness in the back of his throat. He had suffered some internal injuries after all.

"Oh, tougher than I expected." Lin Xuan frowned. He had put most of his strength into that punch, yet all it caused was a minor internal injury. He felt that more than half of its power had been negated.

The Yulan Sacred Fire had been completely blocked, with only a sliver of the punch’s force managing to get through. No wonder people surrendered at the mere sight of someone from the Celestial Successor Empire. A punch that would normally pierce right through a target was reduced to a fraction of its might.

How could anyone *not* surrender against that? It was practically impossible to damage him!

"However... that just makes things interesting." The corner of Lin Xuan’s mouth curved into a smirk that sent a chill down his opponent’s spine.