"Crack..." With a crisp sound, the light-blue energy shield, capable of withstanding the full might of an initial Martial Saint strike, shattered entirely, much like the cracking of an eggshell. Qin Yan, caught within, was hurled outward by the immense force, flying over a thousand meters before finally stopping, a mouthful of blood spewing out as he opened his mouth...

Sensing Ye Jingyu's overwhelming power, Qin Yan's expression shifted once more. He genuinely could not comprehend how Ye Jingyu had advanced so swiftly.

"Ye Jingyu, I told you back then that you were the only one I couldn't fathom. Failing to exert every ounce of strength to kill you then was my mistake, and because of it, my Yun'er died. Today, I will make you pay for my Yun'er!" As if having made a momentous decision, a look of grim resolve slowly spread across Qin Yan's face...

"Qin Yan, do you truly believe you can leave here today?" Ye Jingyu responded coldly to Qin Yan's threat.

His current strength undoubtedly surpassed Qin Yan's. Unless he could conjure several more Martial Saints, there was no escaping death today...

And with Ye Jingyu's now vast divine sense, where in the radius of several li could any formidable aura remain to aid Qin Yan? Only Liang Xiaoke's figure was rapidly approaching; once he arrived, Qin Yan would surely meet his end...

However, Ye Jingyu failed to notice a head protruding directly from the void in the sky. It surveyed the pulverized remains of Xiao Geng on the ground, then looked upon Ye Jingyu standing in the air, a look of fury flashing across the head's face. Yet, sensing something, it reluctantly retracted back into the nothingness.

Qin Yan ignored Ye Jingyu's words, seizing the edge of his outer long robe and tearing it off with a violent pull, shredding it to pieces to reveal what he wore underneath...

Beneath the robe, he wore armor. But this armor's design was exceedingly strange, unlike any style found on the continent. Instead, it bore a resemblance to the suits worn by mobile suits in the science fiction blockbusters Ye Jingyu had viewed in his previous life—fully enclosing the entire body without appearing cumbersome...

His right hand snatched something near his waist, presumably another treasure akin to a Qiankun Ring, and he directly pulled out a cannon barrel fifty centimeters in diameter. This was not the dull black artillery used for city defense, but a barrel entirely forged from alloy—even more advanced than the sniper cannon in Liang Xiaoke's hand...

The entire barrel shimmered with the unique luster of metal under the sunlight. Engraved upon it were numerous strange runes that even Ye Jingyu, with all his knowledge, could not decipher...

But he was certain: this barrel was cast from an alloy—an alloy that simply should not exist in this world...

Meanwhile, Nan Gongshang, watching from above the palace city, saw the cannon barrel and his face dramatically changed, letting out an exclamation: "Yuanling Cannon! He’s holding a Yuanling Cannon! Isn't this cannon tens of thousands of jin heavy? How can it be carried on one's person?"

This was a potent weapon only possessed by Storm City and Tianyuan City; there were only sixty of them across the entire continent—twelve in Storm City, eighteen in Tianyuan City. How could Qin Yan possess one? Though this one appeared significantly smaller...

Still, its characteristic metallic sheen proved it was a Yuanling Cannon, a weapon capable of destroying an entire city... However, the Yuanling Cannon was a super-weapon typically wielded only by Soul Masters. How could Qin Yan, merely a Martial Practitioner, use it?

Qin Yan clearly hadn't heard Nan Gongshang's exclamation, and likely wouldn't care even if he had. He uttered no incantation, nor was there any fluctuation of Soul Power, yet streaks of iridescent light began to emanate from the Yuanling Cannon...

Immediately following, the various primal energies of heaven and earth surged madly toward the Yuanling Cannon. In almost an instant, a terrifying amount of energy was accumulated...

Sensing that horrific energy accumulation, even Ye Jingyu’s expression paled. Setting aside whether he could dodge such potent energy, even if he evaded it, what about the Imperial Palace behind him?

With Qin Yan now resolved to kill, if he were allowed to bombard the area several times with this cannon, wouldn't the Imperial Palace, or perhaps even all of Yunjing City, be reduced to burial offerings?

Confronted with such a terrifying prospect, Ye Jingyu hesitated no longer. The Tyrant Primal Energy within his body circulated at full speed, and he lunged toward Qin Yan. He had to eliminate Qin Yan at the fastest possible speed...

"Hahahaha! Ye Jingyu, do you think you can stop us? Today, I will let you witness the might of the High-Energy Beam Cannon!" Qin Yan burst into laughter. Hearing the term High-Energy Beam Cannon, Ye Jingyu was utterly surprised. That name was one of the most frequently used phrases in the science fiction movies of his previous life! How could Qin Yan, who lived in this world, possibly know it?

And at that very moment, Qin Yan, straining to hold the High-Energy Beam Cannon, was about to pull the trigger...

It was precisely then that a pale hand suddenly appeared above Qin Yan’s head. Five streaks of black light shot out from those five fingers, piercing mercilessly into the crown of Qin Yan's skull...

"Ah..." Qin Yan cried out in pain, his body contorting. The True Essence Power inside him raged, but how could he resist with his head breached?

Turning his head with deep unwillingness, he saw the ferocious face of Liang Xiaoke, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time. It was Liang Xiaoke's hand that had ripped through his skull...

At this moment, Qin Yan’s eyes were filled with indignation, rage, and ultimate futility...

His armor was also forged from special alloy, capable of resisting a full-force Martial Saint strike; even Liang Xiaoke could not shatter it easily. But his head was unguarded, and Liang Xiaoke possessed no discernible life signs, his concealment techniques being unparalleled. In his rage, Qin Yan had been utterly incapable of sensing his approach. Caught completely off guard, his head was penetrated...

Even with his Martial Saint physique, death was now inevitable...

He would never get the chance to pull the trigger, yet the gathered energy continued to swell. Seeing the flickering light, Liang Xiaoke instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He snatched the High-Energy Beam Cannon and hurled it skyward with desperation...

His body immediately bolted away toward the distant ground...

But it was too late. The High-Energy Beam Cannon exploded just over three hundred zhang after being thrown. Suddenly, everyone witnessed a new sun erupt in the sky, and an inconceivably powerful radiance swept outward, turning the entire world blinding white...