Chapter 1545: Killing the King Like Slaughtering Dogs

This scene was too bizarre and shocking; the entire world seemed to freeze completely, save for Ming Ao's piteous wails, like those of a demon from purgatory.

The shock of that instant caused Ming Xiao's normally dark eyes to widen so much they almost burst. He froze for a full half-breath before recovering from his horror, then swiftly flashed over to check Ming Ao's injuries.

But just as he bent down, an incomparably chilling aura rapidly approached.

With a deafening boom, blood and dark energy simultaneously soared dozens of meters high.

Yun Che's figure descended like a ghost, his right foot landing on Ming Ao's body. Amidst the dark light, Ming Ao's screams ceased. His body and the ground beneath him instantly shattered into pieces under Yun Che's foot, then, consumed by the dark light, turned into a sky full of fine dust.

"You..." Ming Xiao's body stumbled backward in panic. Ming Ao, the Great Elder of the Ming Peng clan, a Level Five Divine King who commanded immense prestige in the Eastern Region and was second only to Ming Xiao himself... he was actually dead!

Dead so suddenly, so easily.

Yun Che's figure was still close by, his face as rigid and cold as a corpse. Having instantly annihilated a Level Five Divine King, he showed not the slightest hint of emotion, as indifferent as if he had merely crushed an ant by his foot.

And his aura... it was clearly the profound energy of a Level One Divine King, undeniably distinct!

Everyone present choked in terror. Even if they shattered their lifelong understanding, they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Zi Xuan Fairy's hand now held a profound sword wreathed in purple light. An indescribable sense of coldness and danger permeated her entire being.

"The Ming Peng clan..." Yun Che murmured lowly, facing Ming Xiao. "I thought you had some ability. Turns out, you're just a pile of trash."

"You... just who... are you?!" Ming Xiao's voice was already trembling faintly. Time and again, he repeatedly confirmed Yun Che's profound energy aura, yet what he perceived was always only Level One Divine King... despite having killed Ming Ao in just two exchanges!

How could such a thing be possible?!

He uttered words of shock, but... the Ming Peng Clan Master was still the Ming Peng Clan Master. The moment his last word fell, his body, which had been devoid of presence, suddenly erupted with profound energy. His right hand formed a claw, enveloped in a bluish-black profound glow, striking directly at Yun Che's chest.

The two were only five steps apart. Ming Xiao, a Level Seven Divine King, was far stronger than Ming Ao. The power of such a sudden attack at close range was easily imaginable.

If Yun Che hadn't made him feel such an extremely grave sense of crisis, he would never have deigned to act this way.

Under his peng-claw, space itself slightly warped. The terrifying storm it carried was like a thousand sharp blades tearing through space.

Ming Xiao's eyes gleamed with malice, believing that with this sudden claw strike, Yun Che would at least be severely wounded if not killed. But in his suddenly widening pupils, a hand appeared from seemingly nowhere, growing closer and larger. With every inch the hand approached, the storm dissipated a fraction, until it was right before him. The dark storm, unleashed with his Level Seven Divine King power, had completely vanished.

And that hand, as if reaching out from a void abyss, lightly swept across his outstretched arm.

As if struck by a massive hammer weighing a billion tons, his right arm—the arm of a Level Seven Divine King—shattered into dozens of segments in an instant. He spun like a top, flying horizontally away.

Yun Che's body remained still, a dark flame appearing in his palm, ready to strike Ming Xiao.

Just then, a purple light swiftly stabbed towards his back.

"Senior, watch out!!"

Dongfang Hanwei cried out in alarm, but how could her voice compare to the speed of a Divine King? Before she had finished her first word, Zi Xuan Fairy's sword had struck like lightning, piercing directly into Yun Che's back.

The sword felt as if it had struck an indestructible bedrock. The sinister look in Zi Xuan Fairy's eyes instantly turned into extreme horror. The immense recoil made her entire arm go numb, even causing several trickles of blood.

And the tip of the purple sword shattered directly in the same instant.

As for Yun Che... not only was his body not pierced, not a single drop of blood appeared.

Furthermore, his body did not lean forward in the slightest due to the sword's power, not even an inch.

Yun Che didn't turn around, as if he hadn't seen or sensed her presence at all. His figure flickered, charging straight towards Ming Xiao. Golden Crow flames, imbued with dark profound light, ruthlessly slammed into Ming Xiao's body.

"Uwaaaaaaah!"

His agonizing screams resounded through the heavens. Ming Xiao completely transformed into a man of fire. The torment of the Golden Crow flames was immense; he roared miserably. Storms and dark profound energy erupted madly as he writhed, destroying large swathes of land, yet unable to extinguish the golden flames on his body in the slightest.

"Ah... ah..." Zi Xuan Fairy's steps faltered and retreated. In indescribable horror, she felt her body uncontrollably go limp, her feet retreating further and further.

"Vice-Palace Master, this... this person..." The Grand Guardian appeared by her side.

"Go... quick, go!" Zi Xuan Fairy whispered, trembling. She snapped back to reality... at this point, how could she care about the Heavenly Martial Nation?

The figure that was in his sight just a moment ago suddenly appeared above him, one foot pressing on his neck, pushing him sharply downwards.

BOOM!!

The ground exploded with countless cracks, some extending for dozens of miles. Dark mist, mixed with shattered rocks and dust, erupted hundreds of meters high. From within the dark mist, Yun Che slowly walked out. As for the Taiyin Grand Guardian, he had completely vanished from sight; even when the dark mist dissipated, not a shred of his clothing could be seen.

Ming Xiao's screams from within the flames were still heart-wrenching. Aside from that, the world remained utterly silent. The faces of everyone from the Eastern Cold Nation and Heavenly Martial Nation were twisted beyond recognition. A full half of them didn't know when they had collapsed to the ground, and in their terror, they couldn't stand up at all.

Divine Kings, in this realm and in nations like Eastern Cold and Heavenly Martial, were figures revered as gods. It was an immense fortune to even have one. In any nation, Divine Kings were "protectors of the country."

Ming Ao, Zi Xuan Fairy, the Grand Guardian, Ming Xiao... they were by no means ordinary Divine Kings. They were individuals of extremely high status within the Nine Great Sects! They were Grand Elders, Vice-Palace Masters, and Grand Guardians affiliated with the Nine Great Sects! They were figures whom even a nation's sovereign rarely got to meet.

And Ming Xiao was even the Sect Master of one of the Nine Great Sects!

Yet, under Yun Che's hand, within mere seconds, three of them died violently! One was suffering a fate worse than death!

It truly was only a few breaths, so fast that they had no time to react or comprehend.

It was as if Divine Kings, beings they considered comparable to gods, were merely a group of lowly and useless chickens and dogs in Yun Che's eyes.

The Golden Crow flames on Ming Xiao's body seemed to finally weaken slightly, but Yun Che did not deliver a fatal blow. He slowly turned his body and looked towards the Heavenly Martial Nation.

This gaze made everyone in the Heavenly Martial Nation feel as if they had seen hell. The Heavenly Martial Nation's sovereign's body swayed violently, almost collapsing. By his side, the Nation-Protecting Divine King Bai Pengzhou suddenly shot up and fled like a dog with a broken spine.

In his extreme terror, his profound energy was in complete disarray. A dignified Divine King, yet his flight path was horribly distorted.

Yun Che waved a finger. A streak of flame shot through the air, instantly piercing Bai Pengzhou's fleeing body.

BOOM!!

Bai Pengzhou only managed to let out a single scream before his Divine King body exploded in mid-air amidst the flame, turning into a pile of charred ashes.

He had no grievances or enmity with Bai Pengzhou, not even exchanging a single word.

He wouldn't even care about his life or death.

But precisely because of who he was now, what he hated most was betrayal!

If Bai Pengzhou had honestly remained where he was, Yun Che wouldn't have bothered killing him, let alone glancing at him.

Bai Pengzhou's death severed the Heavenly Martial Nation's sovereign's last fragile straw of hope. The Heavenly Martial Nation's sovereign's pupils widened to their absolute maximum. The reflection of Yun Che in his eyes was undoubtedly that of a true Devil God.

Yun Che's gaze shifted towards him. Instinctively, the sovereign thought Yun Che was about to destroy his Heavenly Martial Nation for Eastern Cold. Trembling, his body slowly knelt to the ground. But immediately, he remembered something, cringed as he looked up, and screamed with all his might: "Yun... Yun... Venerable Yun... whatever the Eastern Cold Nation promised you, my Heavenly Martial Nation... is willing to offer double... no... no, no... five times... five times!"

Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile touched the corners of his lips. In everyone's eyes, his expression seemed to calm down somewhat. "Oh? Is that so? Then I'd like to hear, what can you offer me?"

The Heavenly Martial Nation's sovereign suddenly seemed to see a ray of hope. He widened his eyes and screamed with all his might: "This humble king... this humble king is willing to make Venerable Yun a Protector of the Nation... no, a State Preceptor on par with this humble king in status within the Heavenly Martial Nation! Anything the Heavenly Martial Nation possesses—profound crystals, rare treasures, power, beauties—all can be taken, as long as Venerable is willing."

The words of the Heavenly Martial Nation's sovereign, coupled with Yun Che's attitude, agitated the Eastern Cold Nation's sovereign. He hastily stepped forward and shouted: "Venerable Yun! Although the Eastern Cold Nation is slightly weaker in the profound way, its level of richness far surpasses Heavenly Martial, making it more suitable for Venerable to reside! This humble king is willing to appoint Venerable Yun as the Grand State Preceptor, and whatever the Heavenly Martial Nation can offer Venerable, my Eastern Cold Nation can offer ten times more!"