Devouring the Spiritual Source

"Heavenly Thunder Technique! Impressive."

Ji Chen gazed at Lv Zheng across from him, his voice filled with admiration.

Lv Zheng lazily dug into his robes, his hair disheveled, his Taoist attire half-open, revealing his well-built muscles.

The two had exchanged over a hundred moves, yet neither could gain the upper hand.

Pulling out a thunder talisman from his sleeve, Lv Zheng chuckled lightly. "The top disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s Ji generation—truly not someone to underestimate."

Buddhist prayer beads shimmering with golden light, Ji Chen stepped forward, his handsome face calm and composed.

"You're no less impressive. Zhang Qianyu is hailed as the Alliance’s top genius, yet his strength pales in comparison to yours. And yet, I’ve never even heard your name before."

"Alliance disciples are known for their humility—we don’t chase fame. Well, except for that idiot Zhang Qianyu. It’s no surprise you haven’t heard of me."

Lv Zheng smiled faintly. "But when it comes to true geniuses, neither Zhang Qianyu nor I can claim the title. That girl… she’s the real monster."

Ji Chen’s fingers, which had been rolling his prayer beads, froze. His expression shifted slightly.

"There’s someone even stronger among the Alliance’s younger generation?"

Lv Zheng retrieved another thunder talisman from his sleeve, gripping it tightly.

His gaze turned sharp.

This monk’s strength was unfathomable. Though neither had gone all out in their earlier clash, Lv Zheng could already sense the terrifying power hidden within him.

Ji Chen looked toward the towering treetops and said leisurely, "We bear no grudge against each other. Why not head to the palace ahead together?"

Lv Zheng put away his talisman and raised an eyebrow. "Just don’t try anything shady."

Ji Chen grinned. "Of course not!"

Lv Zheng narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

"A monk does not lie."

Ji Chen spoke with an air of solemnity.

Atop the massive tree ahead stood a palace woven from interlocking branches.

A faint, bluish-purple silhouette flickered into existence.

Ji Chen and Lv Zheng tensed as soon as they noticed it.

A sandstorm raged!

Dust and debris blotted out the sky.

Amid the swirling tempest—

A nimble figure darted through the air as if flying, leaping between unseen footholds.

Below!

A towering sand giant, over twenty meters tall, roared as it charged forward.

Each thunderous step shook the earth, making the very space tremble.

The agile figure paused mid-air.

The winds parted the sand, revealing Chen Bing.

Adjusting his black-framed glasses, he smirked. "Interesting. Zhou Hong, the fifth-ranked expert on the Heavenly Rankings two centuries ago—the Thunderous Palm!"

The sand giant swung its massive hand at Chen Bing like it was swatting a fly.

Chen Bing remained motionless. A cold glint flashed across his glasses.

Without a sound—

The giant’s arm disintegrated mid-swing, its body collapsing into neatly sliced rubble.

At its core, a faint yellow light pulsed.

The surrounding sand surged, attempting to reform the giant’s shape.

Then—

A hand pierced through the layers of earth, seizing the glowing orb!

BOOM!

The reforming giant exploded into dust once more.

Chen Bing clutched the yellow orb, panting heavily, sweat beading on his forehead.

"The Earth Spirit’s Essence… So the ancient texts were right."

His lips curled into a smirk.

In his thousand-year cycle of reincarnation, he had once read records about the Hongtian Secret Realm.

He had prepared extensively for this very moment.

"Truly, heroes emerge from the young. Boy, I owe you one."

A white-haired elder with a youthful face approached leisurely.

Chen Bing’s expression darkened.

"Mei Santong!"

"Ranked 56th on the Heavenly Rankings!"

Mei Santong grinned eagerly.

He had arrived first and fought the sand giant for hundreds of rounds, but no matter how many times he shattered it, it would always regenerate. It had nearly cost him his life.

Now, Chen Bing had dealt the finishing blow—an immense favor.

With a kindly smile, Mei Santong said, "Hand it over, boy."

He could sense the overwhelming spiritual energy radiating from Chen Bing’s grasp.

This was no ordinary treasure!

And as for Chen Bing? Mei Santong didn’t even consider him a threat.

"The Hidden Dragon Rankings? Pah. That’s child’s play."

Even Jiang Cheng, the Azure Dragon of the Enforcement Bureau and the top-ranked on the Hidden Dragon list, was nothing more than a weakling far below him on the Heavenly Rankings.

Let alone Chen Bing, ranked ninth on the Hidden Dragon list.

He was arrogant—but he had the strength to back it up.

Chen Bing’s grip tightened. The Spirit Snake Sword at his waist silently slid into his hand.

In a direct fight, the outcome would be uncertain.

But now?

This old man was as good as dead.

Chen Bing’s lips curled into a cold smile as he glanced at the nearly invisible threads he had woven throughout the battlefield.

"Boy, was life not worth living?"

Mei Santong lunged forward, his palm strikes multiplying like a thousand-armed deity.

Chen Bing met him with his sword, his other hand subtly manipulating the threads.

SLASH!

After a fierce exchange, a thin red line appeared across Mei Santong’s neck.

His eyes widened in disbelief before his body crumpled to the ground.

From a distance, Zhang Fan witnessed the scene, his pupils contracting.

This bespectacled man was far more formidable than he had imagined.

Mei Santong—ranked 56th on the Heavenly Rankings—had fallen to him.

Chen Bing was drenched in sweat, gasping for air.

Clutching his chest where he had been struck, blood trickled from his lips.

"Skill: Eagle Eye!"

Far away, Zhang Fan’s eyes gleamed blue as he observed silently.

He tugged the chain in his hand.

At the other end, Xue Ruirui glared at him furiously, her teeth clenched.

The chain’s material was unknown, but she couldn’t break free.

Worse, most of her strength had been sealed, leaving her as powerless as an ordinary person.

Zhang Fan smirked cruelly. "Struggle, and you won’t live to see tomorrow."

Xue Ruirui bit her lip, fear flickering in her eyes.

This man was ruthless.

Three people had already died by his hand on this journey. She didn’t want to be the fourth.

Zhang Fan kept his eyes on Chen Bing, hesitation flickering in his gaze.

Chen Bing hadn’t escaped unscathed.

Mei Santong’s "Plum-Breaking Palm" was renowned for its devastating force. Only those within the top thirty of the Heavenly Rankings could withstand it.

Chen Bing had taken two direct hits.

Now, he was hunched over, coughing up blood—clearly in bad shape.

His victory over Mei Santong had been a fluke, thanks to those deadly threads.

But the price had been steep. This was the perfect moment to finish him off.

Watching the pale-faced Chen Bing meditating to recover, Zhang Fan’s expression darkened.

After a brief pause, his eyes hardened.

"Retreat!"

With that decision, he yanked the chain, pulling Xue Ruirui along. "We’re leaving."

Seated on the ground, Chen Bing cracked a smile as he sensed Zhang Fan’s departure.

"He didn’t take the bait."

No longer feigning injury, he stood up effortlessly. His earlier wounds had all been an act—a trap for the cunning Zhang Fan.

"The Earth Spirit’s Essence… Might as well absorb it here."

He raised his hand, spiritual energy swirling as he consumed the yellow orb.

"ARGH!"

Veins bulged on Chen Bing’s forehead as agony twisted his face.

And then—

The entire space began to crumble.