As Xu Zimo finished speaking, gray-blue lightning spread from his eyes.
Within that lightning, an ancient and terrifying aura began to form.
Even the small arcs of electricity breaking out were enough to shatter the surrounding space.
âThis move is called Chaos God Tribulation. It is supreme lightning. If you can take it, Iâll admit defeat,â Xu Zimo said calmly.
As the lightning spread, the clouds above were split apart, and a beam of gray-blue lightning shot up into the sky.
It tore through the heavens with overwhelming power, and in the torn space, a lightning-formed eye appeared.
The eye was grayish-blue and filled with swirling chaos. It looked alive, but it was cold and emotionless as it stared at Xiang Kunlun.
The moment this eye appeared, the giant holding the hammer began to tremble with fear.
The surrounding dark energy surged even more violently, as if warning the gray-blue eye.
Xiang Kunlun stared up, his expression serious. Just one glance at that eye was enough to sense its immense power and the terrifying force it contained.
...
âWhat is that?â someone cried out in shock.
âNever seen it before. It kind of looks like the legendary Divine Punishment,â someone guessed.
âWhatâs Divine Punishment?â
âThey say any creature that breaks the rules of the Yuanzhong Continent will face a punishment from the Eye of the Heavenly Dao, a lightning strike from heaven.â
The crowd below was talking, all looking serious. No one expected the battle to escalate to this point.
âYouâre strong,â Xiang Kunlun said after a long, focused stare.
Xu Zimo didnât reply. He was now surrounded by a sea of lightning, his eyes so filled with energy that they couldnât even be clearly seen.
The lightning eye above locked onto Xiang Kunlun. Then, a loud, powerful voice echoed through the skies, no one knew where it came from.
âDivine Punishment!â
As the cold voice fell, a massive lightning torrent shot down from the sky, tearing through the heavens and crashing straight toward Xiang Kunlun.
âAhhh!â
As the thunder torrent slammed into the giant, the lightning hammer flickered, and Xiang Kunlun screamed in pain, struggling against it.
âI am the supreme lightning. All thunder in this world is mine to command.â
That grand voice echoed again as the lightning flood swept through everything, destroying all in its path.
âMy clone may have lost to you, but I accept it,â Xiang Kunlunâs voice echoed through the skies.
âBut one day, when we meet again, I will fight you once more.â
His last words faded as the lightning flood surged past. Silence returned, and everything was calm again.
âIâll be waiting,â Xu Zimo replied softly.
Xiang Kunlunâs defeat was understandable, after all, it was only a clone.
A clone couldn't fully use oneâs true power. Whether it was revealing one's fate or using full abilities, a clone couldnât manage it.
And this clone didnât necessarily represent Xiang Kunlunâs full strength at this stage either.
...
Once the lightning wiped everything out, Xu Zimo ignored the stunned crowd and slowly walked toward Feiyu Changhong.
âSo what if heâs Xiang Kunlun?â Xu Zimo said coldly.
âWh-What are you doing?â Feiyu Changhong backed away in fear.
âWhat do you think?â Xu Zimo said, dragging his Shadow Tyrant behind him.
âFine, I wonât buy the mount, okay?â Feiyu Changhong said quickly.
âYou might not want it, but my mount is a little hungry,â Xu Zimo replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Darksky Tiger roared and leaped forward. Its massive body surged with beastly power.
With its mouth wide open, it bit half of Feiyu Changhongâs body and started chewing.
Feiyu Changhongâs screams rang out as the tiger slowly devoured him.
Before long, only a bloody mess remained on the ground.
The nearby crowd looked horrified. Someone whispered, âHeâs ruthless, but doing this means heâs now completely at odds with Xiang Kunlun and the Imperial Throne Sacred Ground.â
âNot smart. Even if he beat the clone, Xiang Kunlun is far more powerful than that.â
But others disagreed.
âWe cultivators pursue a free heart and clear mind. If weâre always afraid and playing it safe, what kind of martial path are we even walking?â
âI agree. Some people bow for so long, they forget how to stand tall.â
Someone glanced at the green-robed man and joked, âCity Lord of Myriad Demons, Feiyu Changhong was one of your sectâs people. Why didnât you step in?â
âStep in? And die?â the green-robed man replied coolly. âIf you donât know when to shut up, maybe donât talk at all.â
Seeing the city lordâs expression darken, no one dared to joke further.
After all, news of a sectâs holy sonâs clone being defeated would damage their reputation once it spread.
But everyone also knew that once word got out, this young man, Xu Zimo, would become widely known in the Skyluan Region.
...
After killing Feiyu Changhong, Xu Zimo leaned against the Darksky Tiger to rest, quietly waiting for the Slaughter God Tower to open.
Some rogue cultivators nearby looked uneasy.
âWith him being this strong, how are we supposed to compete for the Slaughter Godâs legacy?â
âLegacy also depends on luck. Unless heâs stronger than the Slaughter God, it doesnât really matter.â
âJust try not to cross paths with him,â someone muttered.
Everyone waited.
By the afternoon, the sun gave off a dark yellow glow. Birds flew across the glowing sky as sunset painted the horizon.
The Slaughter God Tower glowed under the sunset.
Soft red spiritforce began to spill from the palace, covering the area in a blood-colored haze.
The tower was massive, with eight main gates surrounding it.
At its peak were carvings of legendary fierce beasts.
The outer walls were covered in all sorts of strange creatures:
A lion with nine heads, a snake-woman with eight legs, a humanoid monster with just one eye...
...
Suddenly, eight loud bangs echoed, and the towerâs eight gates swung open.
As the gates opened, the blood-red spiritforce surged even more fiercely.
âEnter my Slaughter God Tower, and you may inherit the legacy of Bai Changfeng.â
A cold voice came from inside the palace.
The crowd exchanged nervous glances, whispering quietly, but no one dared to be the first to enter.
The name "Slaughter God" carried so much weight that, even at the threshold, it struck fear into everyoneâs hearts.