The Great Ruler (Web Novel)

“Brat, you’re asking for death!”

The two brothers stared Mu Chen down with ruthless and dark eyes. They didn’t expect this youth to be so insolent, especially since he’d appeared alone. To think he actually dared to be so untactful.

“Boss, kill that brat!” someone from the Lion Tiger Regiment called out. Did this stinking brat really think that their fame was nothing but empty bragging?

Cheng Shi and Cheng Hu exchanged glances. Then, the former nodded and slowly started walking forward as surges of powerful Spiritual Energy pressure poured out of him. His tone was dull as he said, “Brat, your courage is commendable, but I’ll let you know this: everyone who’s been in your situation has met a miserable end.”

He drew his fingers together and a long black sword materialised in his fist. A bloodthirsty aura emanated from it — it was clearly a powerful Spiritual Artifact.

It looked like Cheng Shi planned to take matters into his own hands.

The expression in Li Qing’s charming eyes turned cold and she prepared to take a step forward. However, she was blocked by Mu Chen.

“Let me handle it.”

Mu Chen smiled at Li Qing. At first, Li Qing had been rather worried about their situation; but for some reason, that worry had been lifted away by Mu Chen’s smile. After interacting with him for these past few days, she’d come to understand him a little. He wouldn’t be rash and act on ideas that he was uncertain about.

He’d been provoking the other party since the moment he showed up. He wasn’t stupid, he just didn’t fear the other party.

He wasn’t afraid, which meant that he didn’t plan to leave any face for the other party.

“Be cautious, I’ll watch Cheng Hu for you.” Li Qing said in a low voice.

Mu Chen nodded as he slowly moved forward. Spiritual lights flickered in his hand and a cyan longsword appeared.

“One-on-one? What courage you have.”

Cheng Shi grinned angrily when he saw Mu Chen move forward alone. This brat was really too arrogant. A mere Heavenly Fusion Stage strength actually dared to talk back to him — to he, who had Quasi-Heavenly Transform Stage strength. This brat really wanted to die!

All other eyes in the stone hall watched with amazed expressions. They had no idea where this youth was getting his confidence from. To think he dared to do such a stupid thing.

“Well, since you decided to come, then you should pay the price for your own words.”

Who knows how many lives have stained Cheng Shi’s hands over the years? Of course, he wasn’t going to be lenient towards Mu Chen just because he was young. A cruel look flashed through Cheng Shi’s eyes. A powerful Spiritual Energy rushed out and he took another step forward. His Spiritual Energy surged until it resembled a lion’s roar that echoed and shook the stone hall.

“Brat, die!”

He flashed and reappeared in the air right in front of Mu Chen’s eyes. His eyes were dark as he swung the large blade in his hands downwards. There was no fanciness in that attack, just the surge of Spiritual Energy in his body. The swing sent out waves of blade energy several dozen feet long and cracked the ground when they struck.

Cheng Shi’s actions didn’t have the slightest hint mercy in them. They only fully demonstrated his viciousness.

“Haaaaaa.”

Mu Chen took in a deep breath and his dark pupils turned icy-cold. He firmly gripped his longsword and circulated his Spiritual Energy, which coursed strongly through his meridians before rushing out from his body. Black flames ascended along with his spiritual energy and nearly shrouded his entire body. The temperature rose in the stone hall.

Rustle!

Mu Chen growled as he thrusted his longsword. Black flames engulfed his longsword as it cut forward and met Cheng Hu’s blade.

Bang!

Blade light and sword light clashed and rang with an echoing clang. The force of the impact swept out and sliced the nearby stone pillars with cuts as smooth as the surface of a mirror. The people nearby retreated for fear that they’d be caught in the crossfire.

Rumble!

One stone pillar collapsed after another in cloudy heaps of dust and rubble. Everyone turned back to the battle to see two figures standing in midair over a huge pile of destroyed stone. The two were glaring at each other with ferocious expressions, much like two predators competing for prey.

“Brat, you actually managed to take an attack from our second leader?” The members of the Lion Tiger Regiment watched with faces full of shock. They knew that even a Heavenly Fusion Stage Late Phase should’ve been heavily wounded by that attack. But, this young man had completely blocked it with just a sword.

“No wonder he was so arrogant. So, it seems he actually does have some ability. But, in the end, it doesn’t matter what kind of methods he has up his sleeves. Now that he’s enraged our second leader, there’s no way he’s escaping death.” someone coldly said with a smile.

Cheng Hu narrowed his eyes at the youth, who was standing in midair and knitting his brows back at him. This youth’s Spiritual Energy felt a little odd. Even though it wasn’t as powerful as Cheng Shi’s, those black flames were extremely destructive. When they crossed blades just now, most of Cheng Shi’s blade light had been corroded away by those black flames.

Li Qing sighed a breath of relief when she saw that Mu Chen hadn’t been beaten back. Her jade-like hands clutched the Draconic Spirit Bracelet. The moment Cheng Hu decided to join the fight, she’d move to obstruct them.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the battle between Mu Chen and Cheng Shi, so no one had noticed anything as the stone pillars had crumbled. The stone statue at the end of the hall was glowing with a barely visible light.

“So, you have some abilities, after all.”

Cheng Shi tightly clutched his long blade with a dark expression. At first, he’d planned to beat this Heavenly Fusion Stage kid down; but, contrary to his expectations, this brat’s Spiritual Energy was so abnormal that it was no longer possible. That strange Spiritual Energy and those black flames could even ignite and evaporate his blade light.

Mu Chen gripped his longsword as he exhaled. In reality, he was also surprised that he’d withstood Cheng Shi’s attack without giving any ground. It seemed like his recent breakthrough to the Heavenly Fusion Stage Middle Phase had boosted his strength more than he’d originally thought. Although, of course, he still knew that the Nine Netherflame had been strengthened the most. The Nine Netherflame inside his Spiritual Energy was never this powerful before he’d refined that Fire Celestial Lotus.

“A Quasi-Heavenly Transform Stage still isn’t qualified to act so cocky in front of me.”

Mu Chen smiled, though the smile never reached his eyes. Now that he’d finally entered the Sovereign Spirit Treasury, of course he wasn’t going to give all his time to Cheng Shi. He had to end this quickly.

As Mu Chen reached that conclusion, he extended his hand. The dark light in his palm flared as the Nine-layered Pagoda appeared.

A sharp gale whipped up as the the Nine-layered Pagoda appeared and instantly grew into a massive tower a hundred feet tall. The black flames surged over the pagoda’s structure and an intense Spiritual Energy rippled out.

“Roar!”

The first floor of the pagoda glowed with a golden light — a light that began moving across the walls of the pagoda. A massive golden dragon lifted out of the walls and reared its head to roar at the sky. The stone hall trembled.

Cheng Shi’s eyes widened with fear. There was definitely something off about this kid. He couldn’t underestimate him.

He tightened his fingers around his long blade and began circulating his Spiritual Energy without reserve. A majestic Spiritual Energy swept out like a tidal wave, enveloping the entire hall with its pressure.

Mu Chen’s expression was still indifferent as he watched the golden dragon spiral around the Nine-layered Pagoda. However, he wasn’t done with his attack yet; he brought his hands together and formed a strange sign.

Onom!

The moment Mu Chen formed his sign, the Nine-layered Pagoda began buzzing as it floated in midair. The golden light started to spread from the first floor to the second.

When the golden light completed its reach for the second floor, another golden dragon appeared. It, too, roared and left the pagoda to spiral around the Nine-layered Pagoda.

The two golden dragons roared as they circled the pagoda and the natural Spiritual Aura surged violently in response. It was a shock to many eyes.

Joy bubbled up in Mu Chen’s eyes at the appearance of the second golden dragon. There were nine layers to the Nine-layered Pagoda and each held a golden dragon. Before today, he’d only been able to control the dragon of the first layer — but now, he could finally summon the second one.

Mu Chen’s expression burned as he studied his Nine-layered Pagoda. The Great Pagoda Art that his mother had left him wasn’t an ordinary art, of course. The profound intent hidden within it would slowly reveal itself as he grew stronger. He wondered how powerful this Great Pagoda Art would be once he cultivated it to its end?

He could just see the spectacular sight of nine dragons soaring from the pagoda. He looked forward to it.

“Now, let’s offer you to the pagoda!”

Mu Chen coldly smiled at Cheng Shi, who still wore a stunned expression from the appearance of the Nine-layered Pagoda. Mu Chen’s he willed it to happen with his intent, without the slightest hesitation. An earth-shattering shadow and two golden dragons mercilessly bearing down on Cheng Shi. Then, he willed it to happen with his intent, without the slightest hesitation.

“Nine-layered Pagoda, Twin Dragon Suppression!”

Bang!

The stone floor collapsed and a wild energy fluctuated. The bystanders with inferior strength coughed up blood as they retreated from the vibrations. The stone pillars exploded into fine shards.

“Slash of the Heavenly Tiger!”

The dumbstruck Cheng Shi finally recovered and reacted to the pagoda. He circulated his Spiritual Energy and burst forward with a snarl and a slash of his blade.

Boom!

Waves of Spiritual Energy rolled away from his body and took the form of a glowing lion. Blades of light sprouted from the lion’s body as it moved towards the pagoda like the slash of a sword.

Bang!

As the amazed spectators watched, the blade’s lion of light collided with the pagoda’s twin dragons. A shocking Spiritual Energy swept out.

Bang!

The entire stone hall had been leveled. Dust filled the air as the light lion continued its course and was destroyed by the pagoda with a loud noise. Cheng Shi’s face changed again.

“Woooooshhh!”

The pagoda’s dragons weren’t weakened at all by crushing the lion; instead, they smashed into Cheng Shi at the speed of lightning.

“Pfffft!”

Cheng Shi suffered the full force of the impact and fell back with a pale face. Long tracks appeared under his feet as the pagoda drove him into the base of a pillar. He coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

Li Qing’s rosy lips fell open at the instant outcome — just a moment ago, Cheng Shi had been standing there without a scratch on his face. Her charming eyes turned to the slender figure still hovering in midair. Mu Chen was actually this powerful?