Chapter 172: Crushing Your Dreams with One Kick

If this were before, Chen Huai’an would have chosen the frugal route and recharged ¥6.

But today was different.

With ten billion in hand, of course, he had to take Li Qingran on a grand tour of the world’s wonders.

【Disciple, watch closely. Your master is about to make his move!】

A thunderous voice echoed through the void. Li Qingran and Yue Qianchi hurried to the edge of the flying vessel, peering into the distance.

Little did they know, Chen Huai’an was facing a critical decision at that moment.

【Please select your divine foot!】

＜Recharge an additional ¥6 to unlock the White Silk Jade Foot, leaving Ji Dong trembling with excitement.＞

＜Recharge an additional ¥12 to unlock the Black Silk Long Legs, showing Ji Dong the true meaning of humiliation.＞

＜Recharge an additional ¥36 to unlock the Old Frostbitten Leg, delivering a kick so foul it leaves a lingering stench.＞

＜For just ¥48, enjoy the limited-time combo: Layered Socks, Pig Waist Leather Shoes, and a Size 34 Mini Ice Cream!＞

＜Use the free “Serious Kick” with no special effects, shattering Ji Dong’s dreams in one stomp.＞

Chen Huai’an: “……”

Wait, what?

White silk jade feet? Black silk beauties? Was this really necessary?

He had assumed the so-called "foot fetish benefit" was just a joke. He hadn’t expected it to be real.

Though, he was a bit curious… what would the Great Sun Crippling Kick wrapped in black silk look like? That had to be a sight to behold.

But no matter how rich he was, he couldn't spend recklessly.

Better to… try the other versions later when he was on even better terms with Qingran.

Wouldn’t want to ruin his perfect masterly image in front of his dear Qingran.

Chen Huai’an chose the “Serious Kick.”

【Please place your phone on the ground and step on it.】

Chen Huai’an: “……”

—

Cangyun Realm.

The Nascent Soul cultivators gave it their all, but Ji Dong’s demonic escape technique was too fast.

Su Qinian gritted his teeth. This demon cultivator was absurdly strong, and his cultivation technique was among the vilest of the wicked. If they let him escape, the mortal world would suffer a bloodbath. He turned back toward the flying vessel, preparing to seek help from their patriarch—

And then, everything froze.

A terrifying pressure erupted from the flying vessel, engulfing the sky and earth.

The air felt like it had turned to stone.

Everyone stood still, unable to even part their lips. Their gazes were locked onto the gathering storm clouds, where a massive azure foot emerged, shrouding the sky.

Its target? Ji Dong.

“Infinite Dao Venerable…” Su Qinian’s eyes widened in shock. “Patriarch has… has made his move—no, his kick!”

“So, Master was serious about kicking after all…”

Li Qingran blinked at the enormous foot in the sky.

For some reason, even though it was just a foot, it seemed incredibly majestic. If she could cling to it, it would probably feel so safe and secure.

“That’s one hell of a foot…” Yue Qianchi shivered, hugging his arms. “One stomp like that… won’t it flatten an entire city?”

The flying vessel shot forward, drawn by an invisible force.

Meanwhile, Ji Dong had already fled into the desolate wilderness between two mortal kingdoms.

He was pondering which nation to massacre for a fresh supply of blood when he suddenly felt an overwhelming killing intent lock onto him.

“Not good!” He glanced back—his scalp went numb.

Above the clouds, a colossal bronze foot loomed over him, blotting out the sky. The sheer pressure of its presence alone caused his demonic aura to stagnate.

At first, it seemed distant.

Then, in the next instant, the embroidered boots bearing taotie patterns shattered through space, appearing right above his head!

“AHHH—!”

At the brink of death, Ji Dong coughed up blood from all seven orifices. He barely managed to summon his Blood Asura Avatar—

But before it could fully materialize, his right shoulder exploded. His shattered collarbone pierced through his demonic body, spraying black blood onto the bronze foot, where it sizzled and evaporated.

His escape incantation had barely begun when the force of the descending foot sent his avatar tumbling.

The ground quaked, stones levitated, and then—

BOOM!

The bronze foot stomped down. The land within a hundred-mile radius collapsed into a massive crater.

Ji Dong’s screams were pitiful.

“Spare me! Please, my lord, have mercy!”

But the bronze foot merely lifted again.

Ji Dong craned his neck skyward, his throat raw from his bloody pleas.

“My lord… SAVE ME!!!”

—

Thousands of miles away.

Deep within the mountains, an ancient temple crumbled.

A gray-robed nun opened her eyes.

She raised a withered hand and pierced through space with a single finger, pressing it against the forehead of Ji Dong’s shattered avatar.

At that moment, his forehead caved in.

But his collapsing Blood Asura Avatar abruptly reformed—

Only now, its left side radiated the serene presence of a sacred Buddha, while the right side was corrupted by demonic markings. A crimson, fang-filled grin stretched across its half-human, half-monstrous face. In one pale hand, it held a jet-black string of prayer beads.

“Silence.”

The hybrid form of the Buddha-Demon Avatar barely lifted a finger—

And the entire sky rippled.

—

Aboard the flying vessel.

Li Qingran and Yue Qianchi’s backs ran cold.

Before they could react, the ship’s defensive barriers shattered like glass.

A thousand feet away, the clouds twisted as though gripped by an invisible hand. A massive, otherworldly finger, wrapped in decayed bones and Bodhi leaves, pierced through space, leaving fractured voids in its wake.

“Damn it! Li Qingran and Yue Qianchi are still on that ship!”

Su Qinian’s eyes went bloodshot as he charged forward to rescue them—

But before he could reach them, the giant finger impaled the vessel.

BOOM!

The formation core shattered.

Spiritual energy spiraled out of control.

The explosion obliterated the surrounding clouds.

The aftermath left everyone in stunned silence.

And then—

Through the settling dust and smoke, a lone figure emerged.

“Patriarch!”

Su Qinian’s eyes welled with tears.

His heart, which had nearly leaped out of his chest, suddenly settled—so quickly that he almost lost balance on his flying sword.

Chen Huai’an stood amidst the wreckage.

Behind him, Li Qingran and Yue Qianchi were completely unharmed.

Chen Huai’an’s left hand gripped the Buddha-Demon Avatar’s gigantic finger, his sleeve torn away from the force of impact, exposing a taut, muscular arm.

Crack!

With just a slight twist of his fingers, the Avatar’s arm began crumbling from the fingertips down.

The hybrid Buddha-Demon Avatar stared at the intruding force.

Its pupils shrank.

Then, in an eerie, layered voice—one male, one female—it chanted:

“Bodhi is not a tree. The clear mirror is not a stand. Do you realize that by disrupting my plans, you have interfered with the fate of the entire Cangyun Realm? When judgment comes, do you understand the karma and sins you must bear?”

Chen Huai’an chuckled.

Hands clasped behind his back, his smile held no warmth. Only the cold glint of a sword lay hidden within his gaze.

“Oh? A lesson on karma?”

“Fine then. Let’s settle this karma right here and now.”

His right hand slowly clenched into a fist.

The battlefield fell into an eerie stillness.

Even the falling debris from the destroyed vessel hung motionless in midair, as if the very laws of the world had been frozen.

“Disciple,” Chen Huai’an stretched out a hand, “fetch me a jug of wine.”

Li Qingran, momentarily dazed, quickly fished out a wine jug from her storage pouch, handing it over reverently before retreating to the side, eyes sparkling as she gazed at her master like an enamored fangirl.

Chen Huai’an popped the seal.

Tilting his head back, he took a swig.

As the alcohol rolled down his throat, his eyes grew clearer—sharp as a sword glistening with frost.

Wind swept through his dark robes, revealing a black-scaled sword hanging at his waist.

“Drunken eyes see the sword most clearly.”

He never drew his blade.

Yet the spiritual energy surging around him had already taken the form of one.

“I have a sword—one that can intoxicate the heavens.”

Chen Huai’an lifted two fingers, pointing at the Buddha-Demon Avatar.

Staggering slightly, he let out a carefree laugh.

“Let’s see if you can handle the karma of this strike.”

…