The Heavenly Hand

"Oh ha ha..." The mad old man threw back his head and laughed uproariously, his grimy black hand clapping heavily on Xiao Chen's shoulder, leaving a mess of dirty fingerprints on his moon-white robes.

"Who are you? What do you know?" Xiao Chen eyed him warily. The fact that this man knew he had come and gone from the World of Immortality was no small matter.

"I am your benefactor's master, ha ha..." The mad old man's murky, turbid eyes suddenly shot out two piercing beams of light. "Do you still remember how you entered the World of Immortality? If not for my good disciple, with your cultivation could you have shattered the void? Could you have soared in power for eight years?"

"You... are Lan Nuo's master?" Xiao Chen was genuinely shocked. This dirty, filthy, raving old man was the master of that ethereal, unmatched divine maiden—the woman hailed as the greatest talent in a thousand years? A divine maiden like that... and this wretched old man... The juxtaposition was far too jarring.

"What, you don't believe it?" The mad old man rolled his eyes. "My disciple is fair and tender; does her master have to look like a pale-faced pretty boy? Without my weathered appearance, how could her transcendent elegance stand out?"

"Lan Nuo never had a master," Xiao Chen said, recalling the rumors. She had apparently achieved divinity through her own cultivation, with no sect or master.

"That's because outsiders don't know. Do you know where the 'Divine Guide' technique she cultivates came from? I secretly placed it in her room. That makes her my good disciple."

"Oh..." Xiao Chen seemed to understand. "When Lan Nuo was twenty, she challenged the world with her sword and found no equal. Later, because she cultivated that legendary 'Divine Guide,' she nearly perished. She sealed herself in a ten-thousand-zhang snow valley and was frozen for thirteen years before she broke free and shattered the void. So it was all because of you, you wretched old man. You have the nerve to call yourself her master? You wasted thirteen years of her life!"

The mad old man actually showed a rare look of embarrassment. "I saw she was born with immortal bones and wanted to take her as my disciple. I didn't expect an accident."

"Old man, you only caused trouble. So you are not her master at all."

"Hmph! Even if we never acknowledged each other, that 'Divine Guide' benefited her for life. It is the perfect union of martial arts and divine abilities—truly a peerless sacred text."

He finally knew the mad old man's identity. It was impossible for Xiao Chen not to be shocked. A divine maiden's hidden master—his background was truly terrifying.

The surroundings had become empty. Everyone seemed to have vanished. They now stood in a stretch of void space. Xiao Chen sensed the old madman's terrifying power—he had actually severed space and was speaking with him in a dimensional realm.

"Eight years have passed, and you can still recognize me?" Xiao Chen looked at the mad old man.

"Sigh. I never met with that little girl back then. When she shattered the void and left, I got the news and tried to stop her, but it was already too late. I happened to see the back of you two disappearing. I had already memorized your soul fluctuations, and I will never forget them in this lifetime. By the way..." The mad old man's expression turned serious. "How did you come back? That should be impossible!"

"I was sucked back by a spatial vortex," Xiao Chen said. He didn't even know the real situation himself. He briefly described what had happened, then asked in surprise and uncertainty, "You wanted to stop Lan Nuo from entering the World of Immortality? Is going there so bad?"

"Forget it, let's not talk about that. Come help me fight the enemy." Without waiting for an answer, the mad old man grabbed Xiao Chen, and they left the dimensional space, appearing directly in the sky above. He laughed heartily: "Now I've finally found a human-world orthodox successor younger than me, hehehe..."

Numerous cultivators in the sky looked at Xiao Chen. Tianwaitian and Renwairen also gazed at him for a moment before nodding in approval.

Being nodded at approvingly by a scruffy-looking rogue and a fair-skinned child gave Xiao Chen an extremely absurd feeling. But he couldn't say anything—they were indeed extraordinary experts.

The aged cultivator looked at Xiao Chen, then at Tianwaitian and Renwairen. "Is it just him alone?"

"That's right, just him. A small skirmish—a junior is more than enough," Tianwaitian replied carelessly.

Xiao Chen felt speechless. It seemed he really was being treated like an obedient little brat, while that hooligan and that child were the venerable elders.

"Hey, kid, what's with that look?" Tianwaitian, who looked like a ruffian, shot Xiao Chen a sidelong glance. "A little brat like you, just perform well, and there will be benefits for you in the future."

"Old hooligan!" Xiao Chen muttered discontentedly, then flew to the front to face the many cultivators.

The aged cultivator said, "Today we do not wish to make things difficult for you, nor do we want to start a slaughter here. If you can gain the upper hand in ten duels, we will withdraw immediately."

"What are you saying?" Tianwaitian hugged his arms lazily. "Do you think I'm scared of you? If you've got the guts, come at me. I just don't want to start a bloodbath too early. To be honest, sooner or later there will be rivers of blood, but who will bleed is the question!" As he spoke, his demeanor changed completely. He became like a sharp divine sword, exuding a fierce, oppressive aura.

"Enough talk. Let them start the battle." The aged cultivator sneered coldly and withdrew to the rear.

Xiao Chen stood very calmly in the sky, facing the ten cultivators alone. "Come at me all together."

As soon as he said this, not only were all the cultivators enraged, but even the ruffian Tianwaitian, the child Renwairen, and the mad old man Shanwaishan showed surprise. They could see through Xiao Chen's strength, but they never expected him to be so aggressive.

The mortal-world cultivators below erupted in clamor. Over the past two years, the orthodox cultivators had been pressing down on them so hard they could barely breathe. Whenever a flying sword appeared, a mortal expert's head would roll. Now, here was someone who treated the cultivators like straw men. His bearing completely overturned their previous impressions.

"Good! As expected of the human-world orthodox successor. This is how it should be. What are cultivators anyway? When our generation roamed the world, we fought our way out of whole armies of cultivators. Flying swords, magic artifacts... they were all piles of scrap metal! Kid, give them a good beating! Don't be afraid of killing—if you kill them, we'll back you up!"

Tianwaitian was sounding more and more like a hoodlum and a hooligan. His words made even many of the mortal cultivators below blush. Still, they were secretly alarmed—his origins seemed significant, and he might not be exaggerating about fighting through cultivator armies.

"You are too arrogant!" The ten cultivators glared at Xiao Chen angrily.

"I will fight you first!" One of them charged forward, hurling a handful of golden sand.

At that moment, the sky above Mount Hua turned dark and dim. A fierce gale raged, thunder shook the heavens, and the golden sand shone like countless stars in the gloomy heavens before transforming into streaks of blazing light that hurtled toward Xiao Chen.

From a distance, it looked like dozens of meteors streaking across the sky to crash into the earth—an astonishing sight.

Standing in the dim sky, Xiao Chen showed no fear. He slowly but forcefully raised his right palm and struck toward the heavens!

"Boom!"

A thunderous crash rang out, and the entire Mount Hua seemed to tremble. Waves of energy surged wildly in the sky. The dozens of 'meteors' simultaneously exploded and disintegrated in midair. The gale stopped in an instant, and the sky immediately returned to calm. The cultivator clutched his chest, spat blood, and flew backward.

Everyone was astonished. Several cultivators rushed forward to protect him.

"Cough..." He coughed incessantly. The blood was mixed with fragments of his heart. He could not speak—his internal organs had been completely shattered.

The cultivators gasped. The spectators below cried out in shock.

"Shattering the heavens with a single hand!" The aged cultivator at the rear showed surprise. Even the hooligan-like Tianwaitian looked impressed. "Good! This is an ancient martial technique. Shattering the heavens with a single hand—nothing can stop it!"

"You... murderous fiend! I will kill you!" A female cultivator, apparently closely related to the dead man, flew into a rage. She summoned thirteen flying swords that shot toward Xiao Chen like beams of silk. They wove together into a net of swords in the sky, each sword radiating dazzling brilliance.

The spectacle was terrifying. Around the murderous sword net, enormous lightning bolts cracked and tore the sky apart. The power and dread of the sword formation were clear. Waves of sword energy crisscrossed and intertwined with several lightning bolts, as if divine light were crisscrossing the heavens, trying to shatter Xiao Chen.

The sword net enveloped Xiao Chen. A murderous aura coiled around the peak of Mount Hua, making the spectators below feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, chills running down their spines.

But the result was unexpected. Xiao Chen moved like a demon god, strolling through the sword formation as if it were empty ground. He casually waved his hands, shattering the sword beams that came at him. The lightning could not even approach his body.

"Crack!"

Under everyone's incredulous gaze, Xiao Chen grabbed one of the flying swords in the formation and crushed it to pieces, as if it were not a magic artifact but a fragile piece of porcelain.

The cultivators on Mount Hua were the most shaken. Many martial arts masters had no defense against flying swords, and many had lost their heads to them. Now, seeing the legendary indestructible flying sword broken so easily in someone's bare hands shook their very minds.

Xiao Chen moved through the sword net as if strolling in a courtyard. The sickening sound of shattering continued. All thirteen flying swords were snapped by his bare hands. The dazzling sword light immediately dimmed, and the formation was completely destroyed.

"I will kill you!" The female cultivator screamed. The moment the formation was destroyed, she charged at Xiao Chen. From her mouth spat a spray of blood—a blood sword condensed from all the essence of her body.

Xiao Chen snorted coldly, showing no pity for the fairer sex. His left palm shot out, instantly shattering the blood sword. Then his body flashed like a shadow past the female cultivator. His right hand lightly touched her neck, and a beautiful head flew off at an angle. Blood sprayed into the sky, and the headless body plummeted.

He showed no mercy. Xiao Chen, utterly calm, had killed two cultivators in quick succession. He stood unmoved in the sky.

The aged cultivator at the rear gleamed with sharp light in his eyes. Tianwaitian and Renwairen exchanged glances. The fair-skinned child muttered, "Could it really be that... technique?"

"You... can you really bring yourself to do this?"

Three more cultivators rushed forward and surrounded Xiao Chen.

"How cruel your heart is!"

Xiao Chen was too lazy to respond to such talk.

But just because he said nothing did not mean others would not speak. Many among the mortal cultivators below shouted out.

"When you killed martial artists with your flying swords, did you ever think that?"

"Do you only have such thoughts when it concerns yourselves?"

The three cultivators in the sky surrounded Xiao Chen but did not charge recklessly. Each activated his own magic artifact. One shook a great banner that billowed with rolling demonic energy. Another flung a colossal net toward Xiao Chen. The third produced a great drum and pounded it, emitting not sound waves but bolts of purple lightning.

Rolling demonic energy, a boundless net, and raging purple lightning sealed Xiao Chen in the void. To the onlookers, it looked like a death trap, but Xiao Chen was completely at ease. "What use is this? Do you really think you can kill me?"

He took a step forward in the void, advancing slowly. With a casual wave of his right hand, the demonic energy dispersed, the purple lightning shattered, and the giant net broke apart!

"Kill!"

The three cultivators roared and spat out their flying swords, fighting desperately.

Xiao Chen never showed mercy to his enemies. In a life-and-death battle, mercy was the most foolish act. He charged forward with indifference. One punch shattered a flying sword and simultaneously crushed a cultivator's head to pieces. His speed was too fast—impossible to dodge. The Eight Extreme Phases surpassed a cultivator's flying sword speed!

He spun around, his palm blade sweeping horizontally. Blood sprayed as a ten-zhang-long beam of light shot from his palm, instantly cutting the second cultivator in half at the waist. Blood fountained, staining the sky.

The third cultivator tried to flee, but Xiao Chen was already upon him with his extreme speed. His left fist shot out—a massive, millstone-sized, radiant fist smashed down savagely.

"Pfft!"

The man's entire back was smashed to pulp, his body reduced to a lump of flesh and blood.

This all happened in an instant. Three cultivators had died horrific deaths.

"Has he really restored that ancient martial combat technique?" The hooligan-like Tianwaitian, for once, looked serious as he stared at Xiao Chen's hand, from which golden specks were slowly fading. Renwairen also looked uncertain. "It does look like it!"

Of the ten cultivators who had joined the duel, five remained. Three of them were about to charge together, but the other two immediately stopped them, shaking their heads. "You are no match for him. We'll go."

Xiao Chen watched them calmly. These two appeared to be nearly thirty, but he sensed that their true age was likely greater—they had clearly entered the Nascent Soul realm, the demigod equivalent of his own level.

"You should leave yourself some leeway. If you show no mercy, aren't you afraid of divine retribution?" The two looked coldly at Xiao Chen.

"Will heaven punish me?" Xiao Chen gazed at the high heavens, his expression more indifferent than ever. "If it will punish me for this, then let it come."

"We will punish you on heaven's behalf!"

With that, the two jointly offered up a precious vase, radiant and gleaming, aimed at Xiao Chen.

Thousands of rays of light burst forth. The peak of Mount Hua was wrapped in a veil of auspicious light. To the onlookers, it looked like a celestial realm.

"Be careful!" the mad old man Shanwaishan shouted to Xiao Chen.

A tremendous force of attraction pulled at Xiao Chen, drawing him toward the vase. The vase was expanding, trying to swallow Xiao Chen.

All this happened in an instant. Xiao Chen was pulled by the immense force to the mouth of the vase, on the verge of being taken in.

"Captured in the Blood-Dissolving Vase, in three hours you will be completely obliterated, your soul scattered into a pool of blood and mud," the two cultivators sneered.

But just as Xiao Chen neared the vase's opening, his hand turned jade-white, and then he slashed forward fiercely.

"Clang!" A crisp sound rang out, followed by a boom. The enormous vase exploded!

The sky was filled with waves of energy. The two Nascent Soul realm cultivators—demigods—were severely wounded by the backlash, coughing up blood profusely.

"The vase is broken! How is that possible? This was a magical artifact personally refined by our master!" The three cultivators behind them were aghast.

Xiao Chen was like an unfeeling god of death. At that moment, he was cold and silent, simply extending his hand of death.

Like a shooting star streaking across the sky, he struck with a palm blade, splitting one cultivator's body from the crown of his head down between his legs—bisecting him perfectly. Blood sprayed as Xiao Chen rushed through the two halves of the corpse. Even the Nascent Soul could not escape; it was shattered along with the body.

His speed was terrifyingly fast. It seemed as if Xiao Chen had simply passed through the cultivator's body. Everyone screamed in shock.

The other cultivator, though also badly wounded, was clearly stronger. He called upon his flying sword and fled like a beam of light.

But Xiao Chen's speed was incalculable. The Eight Extreme Phases were akin to crossing space. He appeared in front of the man in an instant. His right hand descended, flickering with an eerie light. Anyone could see that his palm seemed incredibly deadly!

Jade-white palm instantly shattered the flying sword, then continued its downward stroke, slicing off the cultivator's head and half his body at an angle. Blood gushed into the sky.

A palm-sized, milk-white Nascent Soul shrieked and shot into the sky, trying to escape. But Xiao Chen would not give it a chance. His right hand reached out, and a tremendous force dragged the Nascent Soul back.

"Pfft!"

The milk-white Nascent Soul burst in Xiao Chen's hand.

Two Nascent Soul First Heaven cultivators had been killed!

The remaining three cultivators looked ashen-faced and dared not advance. They had not even reached the Nascent Soul realm; charging in would only mean a quicker death.

From behind, the aged cultivator shouted, "Come back! Stop the contest! That... is an ancient martial combat technique—a true martial art that should have vanished long ago..."

The ruffian Tianwaitian also changed expression, exchanging a look with Renwairen. "He has truly restored that ancient martial technique. It seems to be the legendary... Heavenly Hand."

"Indeed, it is the Heavenly Hand, revealed to the world again. Even divine artifacts cannot stop this hand of destruction. Could the ancient martial arts be destined to reappear in this world?"

The crowd below was already boiling over. Such clean and decisive annihilation of cultivators stirred the masses into a thunderous roar of excitement.

"Xiao Chen!" At that moment, Chen Fang shouted urgently at Xiao Chen, his face full of shock and terror. He pointed at one of the cultivators in the sky. "That bracelet on his hand—it's Ruoshui's! It's the one you gave to Ruoshui back then!"