The Slay God Technique

The Slay God technique—though merely the first of four killing moves—was a condensation of brilliance itself. It was a form honed through countless refinements, the distilled essence of the formless Great Way. It was less a killing stroke than a tangible 'Imprint of the Way.'

Xiao Chen had trained in the four moves—Slay God, Reverse Chaos, Suppress Demon, Collapse—for some time now. He could grasp some of their profound principles and use them to kill enemies, but he had not yet allowed the Imprint of the Way to fuse into his very soul.

He had grasped the method of killing through the Imprint of the Way, but he had not yet comprehended its true marrow. It was simply too difficult. To entrust the formless Great Way into a tangible form was a truth that even cultivators at the Deathless Longevity realm struggled to fathom.

Yet though the Imprint of the Way had not merged with his soul-mark, nearly a year of practice had given Xiao Chen a deep understanding of its killing methods. Of the four, he had comprehended the first, Slay God, the most thoroughly.

Confronting a powerful enemy at the Eighth Heaven, Xiao Chen had not been careless from the start. When he heard the opponent's furious roar and felt the danger closing in, he did not hesitate. He unleashed the full power of the Slay God technique.

The greater the danger, the calmer Xiao Chen became. He forgot himself, forgot the world, forgot the enemy. His inner world became a void of serenity, as if he had transcended the battlefield and become an observer. But his hand had already traced the Imprint of the Way.

Slay God—earth-shattering, heaven-defying. The first of the four killing moves lived up to its name, embodying the meaning of 'slay.' Countless fine rays of light suddenly illuminated the sky.

The sun had long since set, and darkness had fallen, but the heavens blazed with incomparable brilliance, as if countless stars had gathered in mid-air. The dazzling light was like a divine radiance, breathtakingly beautiful.

But this was no holy beauty. It was the death-light of surging waves. The brief calm was shattered in an instant, as lightning raged across the sky and murderous aura soared to the heavens.

It was as if mountains had split and the earth had cracked. Violent energy surged and roiled, and the martial arena shook violently, a testament to the intensity of the clash in the sky.

Lumuda's Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand was indeed a supreme divine art of the world. It had the great power to cover the sky and overturn the seas. If an ordinary person were caught under that palm, they would be annihilated without a trace.

His left palm was black as ink, his right palm translucent white as jade—two different colors on his two hands. He unleashed a furious gale of energy, stirring up seven layers of power that seemed to shatter the void itself. In the sky, it was as if a gate to hell had opened, devouring everything toward Xiao Chen.

On the ground, the crowd felt the overwhelming pressure. The energy from the Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand cascaded down, cracking the arena floor beneath them.

A truly terrifying strike. Lumuda had merely turned his palm, yet it produced such dreadful consequences.

Xiao Chen clearly saw a hellish palace manifest in the void. Before the ancient, grim palace, ferocious demon sculptures were vividly lifelike, and a massive black gate seemed to open toward him.

This was the strangest battle Xiao Chen had ever faced. A single Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand had conjured such a terrifying illusion—it was beyond belief. Behind the black gate, a massive suction force seemed ready to crush him.

Slay God—the Imprint of the Way—cut through the darkness of the ancient palace like a golden sun, tearing across the sky of this illusory realm, steadily weakening the destructive danger.

The light of Slay God shone in countless fine rays, each one startlingly vivid in the darkness. They were miniature swords and blades, the longest no more than three inches, but they brimmed with ancient intent.

Thousands of divine swords and heavenly blades, each of a different design and shape, as if they had crossed the void from primordial ages.

A bizarre duel—illusions against illusions! But the power was real.

Lumuda was horrified. The Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand was the foundation of the Mand family, which had stood firm in the Southern Wastes for centuries and only grown stronger, precisely because they controlled this divine art. Only through such power could they stand taller and more stable.

The Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand was a legendary divine art, renowned in the Southern Wastes for untold ages. It had been discovered by their family by chance. In battles of the same level, even kingly practitioners like Time Spiritists and Space Spiritists would retreat when this art was unleashed, let alone others. Few could contend with it.

But today, Lumuda was completely stunned. The illusion of the hellish palace in the void was slowly crumbling. The countless three-inch swords and blades cut through all obstacles, shattering all power.

A great collapse in the sky!

After dozens of violent collisions, everything dissolved into flowing light. The sky slowly calmed, and Xiao Chen's lips were stained with a trace of blood. This was the first time he had been wounded since his divine art had advanced by leaps and bounds.

Lumuda's face was pale. He stood quietly in the void, then suddenly fell backward, a gush of blood spraying from his mouth as he tumbled from the sky.

Clearly, he had lost. Thoroughly lost.

"It's over!"

"Lumuda of the Eighth Heaven has failed!"

"The rankings of young experts in the Southern Wastes will be rewritten! Behind that freak from the Mand family, Dugu Jianmo, and a few others, they will now carve the name Xiao Chen!"

"Another Eighth Heaven expert in his twenties!"

"Terrifying!"

The central martial arena of Beidou Academy was in an uproar. Everyone was stunned. Xiao Chen had defeated four experts in a row, even toppling Lumuda, rewriting the pecking order of the top young experts in the Southern Wastes.

"I'm dizzy. This freak probably isn't much weaker than Canas's elder brother, is he?" Zhuge Liang shrank his neck in lingering fear.

Hai Yuntian sighed. As a deep cultivator, he understood the situation best. "Now you should be dead set, right? With strength like that, he must have a major power behind him. How else could he have learned such a formidable divine art? In the Southern Wastes, where old experts are wary of each other and hesitate to act freely, he could easily wipe out a few of the younger generation. I suggest you drop any crooked thoughts about Little Defiant Dragon."

"Brother!" The blue-clad maiden Canas ran quickly toward the arena.

Lumuda, who had fallen from the sky, was already caught. Looking at the approaching Canas, he gave a weak, bitter smile. "I didn't expect him to be this strong..."

"Brother, are you okay? It's all my fault. When big brother returns..."

"He showed mercy just now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived..."

In the distance, several old men of Beidou Academy exchanged glances, their expressions thoughtful. One of them mused after a moment, "Was that just now... the Slay God technique?"

"It looks like it, it looks very much like it."

"The Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand has been famous in the Southern Wastes for ages, but who would have thought it would meet its match."

"Lumuda was probably slightly weaker in skill. Otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain."

"The Yin-Yang Annihilation Hand is the treasure of the Mand family!"

The arena was in chaos. Students from Beidou, War God, and White Deer academies argued fiercely. Beidou Academy had suffered a major defeat, and the students of the other two academies made indiscreet remarks that nearly sparked conflict. Some even tried to goad secret inner-court experts of Beidou into fighting.

Seeing Xiao Chen descend from mid-air, Hai Yuntian and the fat man quickly ran over.

"Let's go. You've made a name for yourself today, but there's plenty of trouble ahead. Best to lie low for now."

Xiao Chen nodded. Leading Little Defiant Dragon and Keke, he quickly followed the two out of Beidou Academy.

No one dared to block Xiao Chen's path. The humanoid tyrannosaur's display had left everyone shaken, and no one wanted a broken limb.

Once outside the gates of Beidou Academy, the fat man let out a long breath. "Brother, you're this strong? You hid it well! Haha, from now on, I'll walk the Academy Road openly to see the beauties. What's there to fear?" He laughed gleefully at the thought.

The handsome Hai Yuntian massaged his forehead, muttering with some headache, "I really don't know if it was right or wrong to settle you on Academy Road. There's bound to be excitement now." He turned and said, "I was planning to invite you to the Chenyu Luoyan Palace today, but we'd better keep a low profile for now. It might cause trouble. We'll have a proper gathering in a few days."

Without question, Xiao Chen's name had been entered on the rolls of the three academies, earning the attention of many. For the next few days, he stayed in his residence, training all day.

Of course, he still went out—for meals. He wouldn't let his stomach suffer. He ate out every day. But even though he kept a low profile, seeking quieter places, some trouble could not be avoided.

"You there, stop!"

Several soldiers ran over, their armor gleaming with metallic light, their long sabers flashing coldly.

"We suspect you are involved in a murder case. Come with us."

This was pure harassment. Looking at the smirking soldiers, Xiao Chen could easily guess that they were deliberately sent to make trouble for him.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"You'll find out when you get there. Hurry up."

Damn it. Xiao Chen was a bit angry. Someone was deliberately trying to make him miserable. Though these soldiers meant nothing to him, he couldn't just kill them in the street.

When he thought it over, he really couldn't act rashly. The biggest power in this city was undoubtedly the Lord of Heavenly Emperor City.

"Move it!" A nearby soldier shouted impatiently.

Xiao Chen looked at them calmly, then said in a low voice, "I hope you stay this arrogant."

"I'm a soldier of the Li Prince's mansion. I can kill you in the street and get away with it!" One soldier's eyes flashed with malice.

"Say that again if you dare!" Xiao Chen stepped forward. In the Mortal World, he had killed a royal princess. What were a prince's soldiers here?

These soldiers, though arrogant and overbearing, felt a chill run through them at Xiao Chen's sharp gaze. They opened their mouths to curse, but the words died in their throats.