The middle-aged man shook his head. “Forgive me, I can’t comply. I don’t wish to be dismissed from my post!” “I’ll give you a High-grade Divine Artifact!” Hua Longtian declared decisively. “This…” The middle-aged man hesitated slightly. “Two!” “Young Master Hua…” “Three! Do you dare, just say the word!” “Done!”
The two swiftly struck a bargain. The middle-aged man tilted his head, looking down at Ye Chen, who was currently restrained by the combined efforts of the surrounding crowd. He frowned slightly, moved his body, and stepped into the Domain World woven by the collective efforts of the group.
The nineteen guards, seeing their captain approaching, immediately shifted the Domain power surrounding him to a flowing energy, augmenting his body and amplifying his strength.
A Domain has many functions. It can suppress the enemy, amplify the self, or amplify teammates.
At this moment, the middle-aged man was bolstered by the amplification of nineteen Domain powers. Every gesture seemed capable of shattering heaven and earth, exuding an unparalleled aura. His gaze toward Ye Chen gradually turned cold. He clenched his fist, his body suddenly launched forward, charging with terrifying speed.
Ye Chen raised his head, staring intently at the charging middle-aged man. His eyes suddenly flashed with a degree of ferocity, like a thoroughly enraged lion. With a roar, a mysterious power within him opened its floodgates, a torrent of savage energy rushing into his body, causing the skin and muscles across his frame to rapidly transform.
Boom!
The collective Domain power of the nineteen guards washed away from Ye Chen’s vicinity as his body underwent a cataclysmic change. Black, hard carapace erupted from his skin, two sharp horns bulged from his forehead, and two pairs of thin, blade-like cicada wings sprouted from his back. His long black hair retracted, solidifying into a black helmet-like crown. His eyes turned dark gold, resembling those of a monstrous beast, filled with savage intent, fixed deadly on Hua Longtian in the sky and the middle-aged man below.
At this moment, Ye Chen bore no semblance of humanity; he had utterly transformed into a monstrous creature!
Claws, carapace, wings, horns…
Ye Chen’s current form was entirely that of a massively enlarged ant, standing upright on two legs, with four pairs of sharp claws protruding from his abdomen, appearing hideous and terrifying.
Reaching the Fifth Tier of Superhuman, it meant the complete 100% fusion of Superhuman genes and human genes. At this juncture, the peak amplification of the Ant Superhuman form could be unleashed, and his appearance would shift into that of a true ant!
When he was at the Second Tier of Ant Superhuman, the amplification factor was 60 times. Now, having reached the Fifth Tier, this amplification became terrifyingly potent, reaching 500 times!
Under this violent amplification, his physical strength reached a staggering level of five hundred million!
This amplification in Superhuman Mode was based on physique. Ye Chen’s own genes had grown powerful, making him ninety-nine times stronger than an ordinary human, effectively keeping him in a permanent Human Superhuman state. Therefore, when switching to Ant Superhuman Mode, the calculation was based on the intensity of the Ant Superhuman form, converting from a baseline physique of 990,000.
With five hundred million levels of strength, he could now contend physically even with Divine Emperor level powerhouses. Letting out a long roar skyward, Ye Chen shot straight up, tearing apart the binding force of the surrounding Domains. His body radiated savage power as his eyes locked onto Hua Longtian, and he suddenly blasted outward.
Hua Longtian’s pupils contracted, and his expression filled with terror as he watched Ye Chen rush toward him, a seed of despair taking root in his heart. However, his combat experience was vast; he recovered quickly, bit hard on his tongue, and activated the Superhuman Mode within him!
Whoosh~
The surrounding space rippled, and two wings, black as blades, suddenly materialized on Hua Longtian’s back, while a sharp, single horn jutted sharply skyward from his forehead.
Under the Superhuman Mode, he hesitated not at all, instantly turning to flee desperately into the distance.
“Die for me!” Ye Chen’s eyes were icy cold. He hurled the Furious Thunder Battle Blade in his hand. The entire blade was enveloped in purple lightning, carving a dark streak through the air as it flew, slicing the void itself, and striking Hua Longtian precisely in the back.
Boom!
The entire Furious Thunder Battle Blade pierced through Hua Longtian’s heart. The lightning fused to the blade erupted outward, shredding Hua Longtian’s body apart.
A peerless prodigy had perished!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Ye Chen beckoned his hand, recalling the Furious Thunder Battle Blade, then turned, his eyes fixed fiercely on the middle-aged man. He shot down in a flash, landing heavily on the ground below. The earth groaned under his impact, and the surrounding flagstones seemed ready to leap, cracking open a deep pit.
Ye Chen, in his Ant form with his claws, gripped the Furious Thunder Battle Blade. The weapon seemed to sense its master’s mood, humming and trembling, spitting out razor-sharp lightning, imbued with savage killing intent.
The middle-aged man witnessed Hua Longtian’s demise. His pupils constricted instantly, and he was shaken to an indescribable degree. He had never imagined this youth before him was so formidable—able to break free from the Domain World woven by nineteen Divine Realm experts, having awakened his Superhuman Mode to the Fifth Tier, and most terrifyingly, daring to kill Hua Longtian!
Who was Hua Longtian? A member of the First Rank Genius Hall!
It was widely known that every member of the Genius Halls was a treasure of the Blazing God Empire, absolutely forbidden from suffering even the slightest harm. Furthermore, the high echelons of the Blazing God Empire even went to great lengths to secretly guard against assassins from other empires targeting the geniuses of the various Halls.
Such a cherished asset had just been openly murdered! And right on their doorstep!
He felt suffocated. If those above learned of Hua Longtian’s death, never mind their inevitable fury, the family behind Hua Longtian alone would descend into madness!
He gritted his teeth, looking at Ye Chen, who advanced with the purple lightning blade in hand, and roared, “Apprehend the criminal! Kill without mercy!”
The other nineteen Divine guards still had lingering shock in their eyes. Hearing the middle-aged man’s command, they did not hesitate. They all burst forth, unleashing their respective World Domains, surrounding Ye Chen in a tight circle. Within their Domains, they could teleport freely.
Ye Chen stared intensely at the middle-aged man, his body moving like a gust of clean wind, charging forward rapidly.
The middle-aged man flickered, instantly appearing a thousand feet to the east, then flickered again, appearing in the south. His position shifted constantly, making him unpredictable.
The viciousness in Ye Chen’s eyes intensified. He clenched his fist, ready to open his Rune Space and summon the “Thunder Realm” Domain Artifact. Just then, the sky suddenly grew dim. Everyone, including the middle-aged man, felt as if their bodies had suddenly sunk into thick mud; even raising a finger became laborious.
“Who dares cause trouble here?” A faint, indifferent voice echoed from the sky.
The previously azure sky instantly became overcast with dense black clouds, and fierce winds swept across the world. A shaft of golden light illuminated down from above, slowly revealing a figure within the radiance. It was an old man, tall in stature, with a head of snow-white long hair, clad in a brilliant golden robe, and a wine gourd hanging from his waist.
The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up upon seeing the golden-robed elder. He hurried to say, “Elder Jin, this is terrible! Hua Longtian has been killed!”
The golden-robed elder paused briefly, then two sharp glints shot out from his eyes, his expression becoming somber as still water. He turned his head to gaze upon Ye Chen in the field—a figure shaped like an upright ant holding the Furious Thunder Battle Blade—and after one piercing look, a flicker of shock crossed his eyes. “Half-God Realm!”
At that moment, the duration of Ye Chen’s Ant Superhuman Mode ended. The violent, immense power receded from his body like a tide. He suddenly felt somewhat empty, and exhaustion and sleepiness flooded his mind. He shook his head, gritting his teeth, feeling the strong binding force upon him, yet stubbornly straightened his back, looking up fearlessly at the golden-robed elder in the sky.
The shock in the golden-robed elder’s eyes deepened. He scrutinized Ye Chen up and down, suddenly recalling something, and frowned. With a sweep of his large hand, a powerful force tugged Ye Chen’s body, and they vanished instantly.
“I am taking him to the Enforcement Hall,” the golden-robed elder’s body disappeared immediately after, leaving only his final words behind. After he vanished, the heavily overcast sky gradually cleared, and sunlight shone down upon the middle-aged man and the others present. Yet, none of them felt any warmth; instead, an icy chill pierced their bones.
“This time, the trouble is massive…” The middle-aged man’s expression was complex, filled with regret and bitterness.
Ye Chen felt his body lighten, and the next moment he stood before a vast plaza paved with white jade stone that stretched endlessly. Above the plaza, blue skies and white clouds shone with soft, intoxicating light.
Ye Chen drew his gaze and looked toward the east. There stood a majestic palace, grand and imposing, its stone pillars intricately carved with lifelike dragons, phoenixes, and lions. Most striking were the three large characters: Enforcement Hall!
These three characters were inscribed with vigorous, powerful strokes, as if carved by sharp blades and swords, making anyone who looked upon them feel a hook gripping their very being, chilling them from head to toe.
Standing before the entrance of the Enforcement Hall was the golden-robed elder, his expression somber, remaining silent. From the hall doors behind him, several figures slowly emerged: two middle-aged men and an old woman dressed in black.
“Hua Longtian is dead?” “Are you certain?”
These figures stepped out of the Enforcement Hall and moved to the golden-robed elder’s side, their expressions etched with unspeakable shock.
The golden-robed elder’s expression was grim, like water in shadow. “There is no mistake. The guards at the gate told me directly; they would not dare lie, and the culprit is this young man.”
Hearing this, the group immediately turned their gazes toward Ye Chen. After observing him closely, shock surfaced in all their eyes.
“Half-God Realm?” “How is that possible!” “A mere Half-God Realm managed to kill Hua Longtian!” “Why haven't I seen him in the Genius Hall?” “Could he be from the Supreme Genius Hall?”
These people looked at Ye Chen, murmuring amongst themselves, all perceiving the faint aura of the Half-God Realm emanating from him.
The golden-robed elder said in a low voice, “That is possible. If this person is a member of the Supreme Genius Hall, things become considerably complicated. You first need to contact the Supreme Genius Hall. Additionally, summon all the geniuses currently cultivating at the headquarters. This matter must be handled perfectly, or it will cause considerable trouble later!”