Slaying the Six Heroes of Chang'an

Chang'an endured a sleepless night. The capital boiled over—three of the Six Heroes had already fallen.

Lingxu Yan, Fang Tianqi, and Mingren advanced together, surrounding Xiao Chen. At this point, there was nothing left to say but to fight to settle the hatred.

Lingxu Yan's Asura Umbrella shot forth seven-colored light that reached the very stars. He struck first. The umbrella spun like a chromatic whirlwind, sweeping out chaotic sword-essence with terrifying power. Heaven and earth themselves churned with the umbrella's rotation.

Xiao Chen gripped a War Sword, slashing horizontally and cleaving vertically. His movements were so swift that the blade wove a silver curtain of light, blocking all incoming attacks. Thunder rumbled without end. With every swing, Xiao Chen summoned gales and lightning, tearing down hundreds of bolts from the sky to smother Lingxu Yan's chaotic sword light.

Fang Tianqi roared, and the Nine Tribulations Divine Palace floating above his head swelled to the size of a mountain, crashing down like a meteor—straight at Xiao Chen. The force was immense, stirring a violent gale that shook heaven and earth. Dazzling light burst in all directions, blinding the eyes; the energy fluctuations alone inspired terror.

With a thunderous boom, the Divine Palace smashed down. Even Xiao Chen, who had cultivated a Martial Body, would have his bones broken if struck by that mountain-like palace. He tried to dodge aside, but the Asura Umbrella swept across, sealing his retreat.

At the same time, Mingren acted at last. His movements were as fast as lightning, without any cultivation treasures—he attacked with his bare flesh. However, his body gleamed with strange light, vibrating with the terrifying fluctuations of a magic artifact. He spread his fingers, releasing ten beams even more fearsome than chaotic sword-essence, tearing through the void and sealing Xiao Chen's path of escape.

Mingren was truly fearsome. Even without a physical artifact, he demanded Xiao Chen's utmost attention. Xiao Chen bellowed, raising his War Sword, and charged at the falling Divine Palace in the sky.

Man and sword became one, transforming into a streak of seven-colored rainbow light—an eagle soaring into the sky—to clash with the Nine Tribulations Divine Palace. The gale howling down from the giant palace shredded the void, and even from a distance, the surging, violent power could be felt. Though Xiao Chen had protective energy around him, his skin still felt the cutting pain of knives.

Clang! Xiao Chen's War Sword struck the descending palace. A violent tremor shook the very heavens, and the terrifying fluctuations cascaded down, making the ancient capital of Chang'an shudder.

The War Sword held against the mountain-like palace, and for a moment, they were locked in equilibrium. Then, just as the Asura Umbrella and Mingren's attacks arrived, Xiao Chen let out a long cry. His War Sword vibrated fiercely and with a massive heave, sent the Nine Tribulations Divine Palace flying through the air.

It was a scene that stunned countless spectators within Chang'an: a human of flesh and blood had, with a single sword stroke, tossed aside an entire mountain. Unimaginable.

Boom! The Asura Umbrella blazed with countless rays of light, sweeping a deluge of divine radiance over Xiao Chen's position, drowning him. But a startling rainbow soared up from that sea of energy and burst free.

A cold snort. Mingren crossed space to appear, his ten fingers spread wide. A crescent-shaped beam the size of half the sky swept toward Xiao Chen—the energy was unimaginably terrifying. Xiao Chen dodged as best he could, but the attack caught him solidly. He was sent flying backward, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. When he stopped, he had to reassess Mingren. This was a formidable enemy. Even without physical artifacts, Mingren's body itself was a magic artifact.

In the world of cultivation, there was a famous sect known as the Artifact-Refining Sect. If its practitioners had enough talent, they could directly refine their own bodies into artifacts, integrating various treasures into their flesh and blood—making their physical forms the supreme artifact of all. Xiao Chen had heard of this sect and now began to watch Mingren with extra caution. He turned and charged straight at him, War Sword in hand.

Lingxu Yan drove his Asura Umbrella forth, and Fang Tianqi commanded the Nine Tribulations Divine Palace, attacking from both sides. The remaining three Heroes joined in, and all of them battled Xiao Chen together.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky; monstrous waves crashed; the battle raged fiercely. The four of them became a tangled mass of combat, their killing intent piercing the heavens.

Every onlooker was aghast. That Xiao Chen could hold off three top experts single-handedly was astonishing. No wonder he had sworn to slay all Six Heroes—it seemed no empty boast.

The battle lasted half an hour. With a single War Sword in hand, Xiao Chen swept across the four directions, not yielding the upper hand.

He stepped out with the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps once more. His figure was dreamlike and illusory, leaving afterimages across the sky, but the sight struck terror into every heart. Everyone had seen how the Nine Cauldrons had been shattered by that art. Now that this supreme technique appeared again, how could it not inspire awe?

Xiao Chen trod toward the Asura Umbrella, a chilling light in his eyes. Lingxu Yan felt a stab of fear at Xiao Chen's glare; he had no wish to repeat Xia Ding's fate and retreated decisively. But Xiao Chen did not press him—he turned and charged straight at Mingren instead.

Mingren was completely unafraid. His speed was like lightning; even as he dodged, he could still fire off dozens of beams.

But Xiao Chen's real target was not him either. Xiao Chen suddenly soared into the sky, treading the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps toward Fang Tianqi above, his War Sword raised to split the Nine Tribulations Divine Palace.

By the time Lingxu Yan and Mingren rushed to help, it was too late. Although the three of them combined power to block the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps, Xiao Chen's War Sword in that moment blazed with light that pierced heaven and earth. He gathered all his strength into that single stroke and brought it down on the Divine Palace.

Crack! The enormous palace in the sky burst into blazing radiance and then was split in two, cleaved apart by Xiao Chen. Fang Tianqi flew backward, spitting blood, his heart and spirit heavily wounded.

Xiao Chen was unstoppable, like a god of war. Sword in hand, he pressed the attack against Lingxu Yan and Mingren.

With Fang Tianqi crippled and only two left on the battlefield, Xiao Chen found the fight much easier. His War Sword struck east and parried west, sweeping across all directions—he had seized absolute advantage.

Just then, the little beast Keke secretly transmitted a message to Xiao Chen, its spiritual fluctuations very soft, completely inaudible to outsiders.

Xiao Chen's heart stirred. The big fish had finally come. He sensed the tiger's might—Tiger Ben, the Third Son of the White Tiger Saint Emperor, and Olito, the Sun God's Child, had revealed their silhouettes in the distant sky. Keke had discovered them.

Xiao Chen maneuvered the battle toward that direction and finally sensed the auras of the two great experts—saw their shadows. He had not staged this grand challenge solely to kill the Six Heroes; he wanted to slay Tiger Ben and Olito. Those two were the real instigators he desperately needed to eliminate.

Silently, Xiao Chen summoned the stone man within his body. Using his divine sense, he drew on the Stone Drill and Stone Ball in the stone man's hands. No light blossomed, no energy rippled—the Stone Drill and Stone Ball appeared soundlessly in his left palm.

This was his ultimate killing move. Days ago, when he had divinely transformed his eighty-first acupoint, he had unexpectedly discovered he could summon these two stone artifacts. The destructive power they unleashed had shocked even him. He could have used them to kill the Six Heroes easily, but he wanted Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child even more. So he had held back through the entire battle, enduring a life-and-death struggle with the Six Heroes through sheer combat power, never using the stone artifacts.

Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child were among the most formidable existences below the half-ancestor level. In terms of battle strength, Xiao Chen was far from matching them. He did not intend to face them head-on.

Having seen how they destroyed villages and treated the lives of common people like ants, Xiao Chen felt no shame in ambushing them. With the two stone artifacts in hand, he was ready to make Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child die with their eyes open.

The two were utterly indifferent to the fate of the Six Heroes. They laughed and chatted in the sky, as if passing judgment on the world, implying that all the heroes of the age were no more than that.

At that moment, Xiao Chen struck. Using divine sense, he directed the Stone Drill and Stone Ball to assassinate the two in the horizon.

Silent and soundless, the two stone artifacts gave off not a single ripple of energy. Swift as shooting stars, they tore through the sky in an instant.

"Eh..." Both Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child showed surprise. The two approaching stone artifacts carried no terrifying energy, which seemed very odd to them. But then their expressions changed abruptly, and they tore through space to flee at their fastest speed.

They did not sense danger, but that very fact triggered their wariness. Experts like them, who had survived countless ages, relied on more than just strength—they were cunning and knew how to avoid calamity.

Anomaly forebodes evil!

The Stone Drill and Stone Ball, though lacking energy fluctuations, contained terrifying force. They punched through space, shaking the two experts out of their spatial tunnels, shattering the corridors outright.

At that moment, the Stone Drill and Stone Ball seemed dreamlike, emitting a strange rippling energy that briefly held the two great experts in place.

Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child's hearts trembled violently. They strained with all their might to break free. Just as they regained their mobility, the two stone artifacts struck.

Blood burst forth. The Stone Drill pierced Tiger Ben; the Stone Ball struck the Sun God's Child, leaving two trails of blood across the sky.

"Ah..." Even experts as mighty as Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child could not help but cry out in anguish. Then, without looking back, they tore through space again and fled.

A massive white tiger hind leg fell from the sky—Tiger Ben had been knocked back into his true form, his hip shattered and one leg severed as he escaped. The Sun God's Child lost half his body and fled with his severed right arm.

Both prime culprits were gravely wounded!

But Xiao Chen had expended all his spiritual power commanding the two stone artifacts and could not strike a second blow. The Stone Drill and Stone Ball flew back, vanishing into his body.

At that moment, Xiao Chen was utterly exhausted. However, little Keke had been prepared; she rushed to his side, blocking Lingxu Yan and Mingren.

All the onlookers were stunned. Some recognized Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Child. That both these great experts had been crippled by Xiao Chen was beyond imagination.

Lingxu Yan and Mingren retreated decisively. After witnessing Xiao Chen's killing move, they had lost all will to fight. If they delayed and were killed by those two stone artifacts, it would be too unjust.

Little Keke dared not leave Xiao Chen's side. She stood guard nervously.

"It's all right. I'm fine." A few deep breaths restored Xiao Chen's strength, though he could not use the stone artifacts again for a short time.

Hearing this, little Keke transformed into a beam of light and gave chase to the east—the direction Lingxu Yan had fled. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen shot toward the southeast. Activating the ultimate speed of the Eight Aspect Worlds, he spotted Fang Tianqi's shadow in an instant.

"I said I would wipe out the Six Heroes in a single battle—and I meant what I said." Xiao Chen's speed was blinding. He caught up in a flash. Fang Tianqi, severely wounded and having lost his magic palace, could now muster less than thirty percent of his usual prowess. Seeing Xiao Chen in pursuit, he knew death was inescapable and turned back to fight. But the outcome was inevitable.

Xiao Chen's War Sword swept horizontally, and a head flew aside. He shook the blade again, and the headless body, together with its nascent soul, shattered into a mist of blood.

Fang Tianqi had not even escaped Chang'an. Everyone saw it. The Fourth Hero had fallen. The crowd erupted.

Xiao Chen, his sword dripping blood, turned and gave chase to the east.

Chang'an was in an uproar. Xiao Chen had said he would kill all Six Heroes, and it seemed his words would come true. Everyone felt their hearts surge.

In the distance, little Keke was locked in combat with Lingxu Yan. Xiao Chen was not worried. Keke controlled the Paradise Lost—even if a half-ancestor attacked, they might not be able to harm her.

Keke cried "Ya-ya," sweeping out beam after beam of seven-colored light. Lingxu Yan was harried and miserable. Though his Asura Umbrella released billions of rays of radiance, it all was absorbed by Paradise Lost, unable to harm Keke in the slightest. Moreover, the little beast's divine powers were overwhelming—the seven-colored light swept away all things, and nothing could approach her. She was a heaven-defying little beast, in an invincible position from the start.

With a flash, twelve successive beams of seven-colored divine light swept across the Asura Umbrella. With a cry, Lingxu Yan felt the umbrella torn from his grasp by an irresistible force. Light flashed, and Keke seized it in her paws—but she was only a foot tall, and hugging that umbrella looked utterly comical. The little creature muttered discontentedly, then tossed the umbrella angrily into her Paradise Lost as another trophy.

Lingxu Yan burned with fury but had no recourse. In absolute fighting power, he was no match for Keke; his cultivation treasures could not overcome the little beast's divine arts. Losing to such a tiny creature was a bitter humiliation.

Then he saw Xiao Chen closing in. He no longer had any will to fight. He turned and fled. Honor and face meant nothing now—survival was everything. But his opponent was not only stronger but far faster, and in an instant, Xiao Chen and Keke had cut off his escape.

"Blood Shadow Split!" Lingxu Yan's form instantly divided into forty-nine copies, fleeing in all directions. If even one escaped, he could revive. Keke was about to spread Paradise Lost and collect them all, but Xiao Chen stopped her. He directly sounded the Heaven-Blessed Word "Om"—soul resonance. The power of life and death surged forth. The forty-nine blood shadows in the sky all screamed and collapsed in an instant.

Lingxu Yan was annihilated.

Xiao Chen turned his gaze north. With Keke, he transformed into a beam of light, charging straight north.

By his keen spiritual sense, tracking the residual energy fluctuations left in the sky, Xiao Chen locked onto Mingren's escape path. Even with the Eight Aspect Worlds' ultimate speed, he chased more than two thousand li—a testament to Mingren's terrifying speed.

Mingren halted above the northern grasslands. He showed no fear; instead, he wore a relaxed smile. "One day, I will fight you in a true duel," he said. Then he charged at Xiao Chen. In that moment, the terrifying energy fluctuations around him were like a living volcano about to erupt at any moment.

Xiao Chen frowned and engaged him in fierce combat. Half an hour later, he beheaded Mingren with a single sword strike—but Mingren did not die. He fought on as vigorously as before.

It was only when Xiao Chen used the Reverse Dragon Seven Steps to shatter his body that Mingren exploded into terrifying energy waves, nearly severely wounding Xiao Chen.

"Mingren among the Six Heroes was merely an incarnation of mine. One day, I will come in person to fight you," the voice called out as the energy dissipated. Xiao Chen knew that this person—whoever his true body was—would be a formidable enemy.

And so, all Six Heroes had fallen. Xiao Chen had slain all the Cultivation World's Six Heroes in a single night, shocking the world. It was a landmark achievement. They were all young kings among their generation, but the six of them together had been swept aside by Xiao Chen alone.

The world was stunned. And when word spread that Xiao Chen had also gravely wounded Tiger Ben and the Sun God's Son, his cultivation seemed even more unfathomable.

Of the ten mightiest young experts of the Cultivation World, seven now lay dead at Xiao Chen's hand: Deng Yu, Fang Tianqi, Ye Tian, Lingxu Yan, Xia Ding, Shao Yi, and Mingren. By sweeping through the younger generation, Xiao Chen had shaken the Nine Provinces to their core.