Chapter 827: A Complete Corpse?
"Old man, did you ask for my permission before touching my women?"
When the clear, almost leisurely voice suddenly echoed through the air, the expression on every single person present shifted dramatically.
Liu Ruyan's vision blurred with unshed tears. She watched, mesmerized, as Shen Anyu stepped in front of her, shielding her completely. With a casual flick of his finger, the colossal white palm, which spanned dozens of meters, shattered. It broke apart into harmless wisps of white smoke that gently dispersed into the air.
In that single, stunning moment, Shen Anyu's figure seemed to loom larger than the most majestic divine mountain. He filled her heart to the very brim, threatening to overflow, washing away every last trace of her earlier jealousy. The resentment vanished like smoke in the wind, leaving only the image of his back, his profile, his very presence, seared into her eyes and soul.
'You dog, I forgive you. Just wait until we get back… I'll be sure to reward you properly!' Liu Ruyan thought, lightly biting her rosy lower lip.
[Ding! Destined Heroine Liu Ruyan's affection has surged! Plundering +6666 Destiny Value!]
[Ding! Destined Heroine Zhong Lingyin's heart has been stirred! Plundering +6666 Destiny Value!]
"Brother Shen is so amazing! That's wonderful!"
Zhong Lingyin's beautiful face was alight with pure joy. She had been so terrified that she had squeezed her eyes shut, but the instant a warm, protective aura enveloped her, she snapped them open. And there he was. Shen Anyu.
She knew it. She knew he would never abandon them.
"Yes… truly amazing…"
Murong Jieyu's own lovely eyes were wide with disbelief as she stared at the man standing before them.
When Xiao Qingtian had struck, that gargantuan white palm, dozens of meters wide, had left her utterly paralyzed with shock. She was a peak Grandmaster, an expert capable of projecting her Martial Path True Essence, of turning flowers and leaves into deadly projectiles. But the range of her power was measured in inches.
Even a true giant of the martial world, an expert of the Heavenly Human realm like her own Senior Sister Pei Changli—the famed Female Sword Immortal—could only project Sword Qi several meters long, a feat that already seemed otherworldly, befitting her title.
But this man, Xiao Fan's master, Xiao Qingtian… he could conjure an attack dozens of meters in scale with a mere wave of his hand, condensing it into a solid palm strike. He was something beyond human.
Murong Jieyu felt that even the legendary Land Immortals of old might not possess such terrifying power. In that moment of despair, she had been certain it was over. They would all be captured, and Shen Anyu, wherever he was, would be hunted down and killed. The strength Xiao Qingtian displayed was like that of an unstoppable god or demon from ancient tales.
And yet, Shen Anyu had appeared. He had protected them. He had saved them. And with nothing more than a flick of his finger, he had disintegrated the apocalyptic palm descending from the sky. It was a feat so incredible it bordered on the impossible.
'Could he truly be a banished immortal who has descended to the mortal world? How else could he possess such strength?'
Murong Jieyu gazed at Shen Anyu's handsome profile, her heart trembling. She was suddenly reminded of the strange flutter she'd felt when she first saw him in her hazy, confused state. A faint blush crept onto her delicate, oval face, and her heart skipped a few beats.
'Touching my women? Ruyan and Lingyin, yes… but am I included in that? Did he just say it without thinking, or…?'
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Murong Jieyu's favorability +10! Plundering +30,000 Destiny Value!]
…
[Ding! Child of Destiny Xiao Fan's heart has been shaken! Plundering +66,666 Destiny Value!]
"How is this possible? How can Shen Anyu be this strong?!"
Xiao Fan, who had just scrambled back to his feet, was completely dumbfounded. He stared at the scene before him, his mind refusing to process what his eyes were seeing.
In his estimation, the power his Master, Xiao Qingtian, had just displayed was far beyond that of a mere Land Immortal of the Martial Path. That was the power of an existence in the Foundation Establishment world of the Immortal Path!
And Shen Anyu had actually blocked his master's attack? Even if it was just a casual strike, it was still utterly unbelievable!
"You are Shen Anyu?!"
Xiao Qingtian's expression shifted, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing the young man before him, and then a cold sneer twisted his lips.
"To cultivate both the Martial and Immortal Paths, reaching the Land Immortal realm in the former and late-stage Qi Refinement in the latter… and at such a young age. Truly a peerless talent… a prodigy without equal…"
Though his words sounded like praise, the killing intent in Xiao Qingtian's heart surged to a fever pitch.
Shen Anyu's strength had surprised him, but not overly so. He reasoned that perhaps the Heavenly Emperor Palace had left behind some powerful legacies for Yanxia's Shen Clan before they departed the Secular World for the Xuanhuang World a thousand years ago.
A millennium had passed, and in a world with such thin spiritual qi, any such resources should have long been exhausted. But there were always exceptions.
Xiao Qingtian knew all too well how terrifying that old ancestor of the Shen Clan from the Heavenly Emperor Palace was. Even after a thousand years, that monster was still alive and well!
'For the Shen Clan to produce a scion of such genius… he must be killed!'
Murderous intent flooded Xiao Qingtian's heart as his gaze locked onto Shen Anyu.
Originally, annihilating Yanxia's Shen Clan was merely a way for the Yunhai Sect to vent its frustrations, since they couldn't seek revenge directly from the Heavenly Emperor Palace just yet. Destroying the bloodline of their enemy's ancestor was supposed to be a casual, effortless affair.
But now, Shen Anyu had shot to the top of Xiao Qingtian's kill list.
To reach such a level at his age, especially in a barren place like the Secular World, was the mark of a truly peerless talent. With such astonishing aptitude and that kind of lineage, if he ever made it to the Xuanhuang World, he would undoubtedly be named an Imperial Son by the Heavenly Emperor Palace. He would be cultivated with immense resources, and his strength would advance by leaps and bounds.
How could Xiao Qingtian possibly allow the descendant of his enemy's bloodline to grow into such a threat?
…
"Cultivating both the Martial and Immortal Paths… a Land Immortal of the Martial Path and late-stage Qi Refinement in the Immortal Path?"
"Is that my husband's true strength?"
Liu Ruyan was stunned. She had always wondered just how powerful Shen Anyu was, knowing that even Wu Shenyun was no match for him. Now, she finally had a glimpse of the truth.
"Lingyin, Shen Anyu… he's actually reached the Land Immortal realm?" Murong Jieyu had no concept of Immortal Path cultivation, but the term "Land Immortal" struck her like a bolt of lightning.
The martial world of Yanxia hadn't seen a new Land Immortal in a hundred years. Even a colossal sect like her Sword Palace only had one: the Sword God Lin Xuanyan, a prodigy from five hundred years ago. And Shen Anyu… had actually reached the same level as their founding patriarch?
"Mhm, mhm! He's probably the best there is! Brother Shen's talent is second to none!" Zhong Lingyin's pretty face was flushed with pride as she beamed.
Her man was just too amazing!
Murong Jieyu looked at Shen Anyu with eyes full of admiration, as if she were gazing upon a living god.
"Shen Anyu is a Land Immortal of the Martial Path and in the late-stage of Qi Refinement? Impossible… that's absolutely impossible…"
Hearing Xiao Qingtian's assessment, Xiao Fan was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor.
Under his master's tutelage, Xiao Fan had learned how arduous the Immortal Path was, especially in the Secular World where spiritual qi was so scarce. If Xiao Qingtian hadn't already been on the cusp of the Foundation Establishment realm and brought resources from the Yunhai Sect—on top of luckily finding a spiritual land deep within the Qinling Mountains—he would never have broken through. Even then, it had taken him decades.
And Shen Anyu was only in his early twenties. How had he already reached such a level?
At that moment, Xiao Fan's heart was consumed by a ferocious, gnawing jealousy. He felt the world was deeply unfair. He had foolishly believed himself to be a genius, a chosen one. But compared to Shen Anyu, he was nothing. He was less than nothing.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Xiao Fan is consumed by jealousy and resentment! Plundering +44,444 Destiny Value!]
'Heh, but it doesn't matter. With Master here to make a move, Shen Anyu is a dead man walking!'
A sliver of relief cut through his bitterness, and Xiao Fan's face twisted into a hypocritical mask of concern.
"Brother Shen, just surrender. I've already begged my master, that old man, to leave you a complete corpse!"
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