CHAPTER 221: PATHETIC PEASANT?

With a roar, Jun Laoye appeared above the giant's head, his voice carrying a fierce, unruly edge. "Hah! The cliff trial begins now!"

The Heavenly Dao Spear shrank back into his palm, and he proclaimed, "I hereby declare that your lord has arrived. All of you, back off. Every treasure here belongs to me."

Not long after he said that, Jun Laoye realized his posture and voice lacked the dominance he'd imagined, and he let out an awkward laugh. "Hahaha."

After a brief pause, he planted his Earth-Shattering Spear beside him, covered his face with one hand, and laughed even louder like a madman.

Standing atop the Green Sovereign Divine Tree, Nantian Wan'er whispered, "Brother Jun looks really scary when he laughs like that... He's almost like those cultivators driven mad by qi deviation."

"Hahaha!" Nantian Yijian covered his eyes, laughing. "Wan'er, that's a great description. But honestly, calling him an idiot might be even more accurate right now."

"Ahem..." Jun Laoye choked on his saliva at their words. Turning toward Nantian Wan'er with an embarrassed smile, he asked, "Wan'er, do I really look that scary? I thought it would make me seem more imposing."

"Uh... I think you might be mistaken," Lu Chen said, covering his eyes, unable to watch any longer. "Can't blame them for saying that. You did look a bit foolish just now."

"Yeah." Nantian Wan'er nodded firmly. "Brother Jun, maybe just be serious. You actually look much better that way."

Jun Laoye let out another embarrassed laugh. "Since you all say so, I'll be serious then. I suppose that mad look doesn't suit me anyway."

He slowly raised his Earth-Shattering Spear, pointed it toward the west—where a group of cultivators was searching for treasures—and released layers of spirit qi pressure toward them.

Sensing the sudden surge, the cultivators looked up and saw Jun Laoye. Realizing he was only at the eighth level of the Qi Regulation Realm, they smirked mockingly.

"Are they mocking me?" Jun Laoye's eyes burned with fury. "You bunch of commoners! If it weren't for the Ancestor, you wouldn't even be here. How dare you laugh at me?"

He raised his spear again and unleashed a bolt of lightning. "Take th—"

"Take what?" Nantian Yijian cut him off. "Little Jun, you can't attack them. Those are my believers! I need them for my Wish Power!"

He drew a sword from his back and shouted, "These treasures belong to the Horse-Hunting Legion. If you're willing to join us, you may take whatever you like."

The cultivators glanced at him, their mocking smiles widening. Before the descent to the cliff, they had stood far from the center where Lu Chen and his companions were. With their memories sealed as well, they had no idea of Lu Chen and his companions' identities.

Once Nantian Yijian finished making his claim, the cultivators paused their search and began mocking them.

"Heh, another pair of peasants. Found a few trinkets and now they think they're big shots."

"Exactly. A peasant will always be a peasant. Picking up a few treasures wouldn't help them escape their lowly roots."

The members of one squad even raised their weapons, channeling spirit qi as they charged toward Jun Laoye. "Watch closely, people. We'll show these peasants what real cultivators look like."

One haughty cultivator murmured, "They're just a few novices. Not worth getting worked up over. Still, picking on them like this is a bit much."

He snorted dismissively before returning to his search.

Sensing that Lu Chen and his companions were only at the eighth level of the Qi Regulation Realm, the cultivators dismissed them as mere novices flaunting their luck with stolen treasures.

"Huh? Why are they charging at us? Hadn't I intimidated them enough?" Nantian Yijian blinked. "Also... did I hear them call us peasants? What's that? It sounds awful."

"Little Jian, with your level of cultivation, you've got no right to boast," Jun Laoye told him in a mocking tone. "No wonder they looked at you like you're an idiot. The word 'peasant' is an insult.

"Watch me. I don't believe the might of the Heavenly Dao Spear won't be enough to make them submit."

Jun Laoye summoned the Heavenly Dao Spear again and released his Qi Regulation Realm aura at full force.

However, all he received in response was a sea of eye rolls. The remaining cultivators' eyes gleamed with greed, and soon, they too surged forward.

"What's going on?" Jun Laoye groaned. "I'm already at the eighth level of the Qi Regulation Realm. Why can't I intimidate them?"

"Have you forgotten? Their memories were sealed by the Ancestor," Lu Chen said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Releasing your cultivation in front of them is like four ants trying to scare a herd of elephants. Do you think the elephants would even react?"

Jun Laoye glared at the charging cultivators. "You're right. But they probably don't realize we are the man-eating ants among the ants.

"Let them see what man-eating ants can do," Jun Laoye said, clasping his hands together and forming a series of seals. The primordial lightning qi within him surged, and a massive spear of lightning gradually took shape before him.

He formed another seal, summoning a one-zhang-long lightning dragon that coiled along the spear's shaft. It rested its mouth against the spearhead, while its tail wound around the base, forming a lightning-wreathed dragon spear that pulsed with destructive energy.

"This spear only had the strength of a mid-level Qi Condensation Realm cultivator. That's far from enough." Jun Laoye sighed and turned to Lu Chen. "Little Lu, give me a Thunderburst Pill. I'll boost its power and give them a proper fright."

Lu Chen took out a Thunderburst Pill, wrapped it in spirit qi, and tossed it over. "Be careful. We've just arrived and haven't figured out the situation yet. Just drive them off for now."

Jun Laoye laughed proudly as he merged the pill into the dragon's mouth. "Got it! I was born to wield what the Ancestor bestowed upon me!"

He then hurled the spear forward.

The lightning dragon spear shot through the air, roaring toward the enemy ranks. With another shout, Jun Laoye released the lightning dragon's shadow from within the spear. It followed closely behind the weapon, letting out an ear-splitting roar as it struck.

The charging cultivators saw the incoming spear and sneered with disdain. They didn't even bother to activate their defensive techniques, choosing instead to meet the attack head-on.

A deafening boom followed.

The dragon spear exploded midair, and the lightning dragon's shadow tore through the crowd, its thunderous roar shaking the cliff. Bolts of lightning split the ground, carving open a massive crater.

Flashes of spirit qi flickered within the pit as furious roars erupted.

"You damn peasant! How dare you use such a powerful technique against us? You must have a death wish!"

Moments later, more than ten scorched and disheveled cultivators stumbled out of the smoke. They hadn't expected such overwhelming power. Although they had managed to raise their defenses at the last second, it had been too late. The barriers they had hastily conjured had simply crumbled beneath the surge of primordial lightning qi.

The group emerged from the crater with tattered robes and bruised egos. The attack hadn't left them seriously injured, but the embarrassment of being blasted like that in front of their peers was unbearable.

When the onlookers behind them started laughing, their faces twisted with rage. Enraged beyond reason, they shouted curses and formed seals, launching a storm of flying swords and enchanted weapons toward Jun Laoye.

"What's the rush?" Jun Laoye said calmly as he watched the barrage approach. "The attack isn't over yet. The real show is just beginning."

He raised his right hand to his brow and gently activated his divine eye.

Lightning gathered within the Divine Eye and shot out a concentrated beam toward the pit. The light struck the shattered fragments of the dragon spear, igniting a violent chain reaction.

"How can a mere Qi Regulation Realm cultivator make me feel uneasy?" one cultivator muttered, frowning. However, upon seeing the beam touch the fragments, his frown changed to a horrified expression. "No! Everyone, move! That attack's near the level of Core Breakthrough Realm!"

He quickly retreated, but the others weren't as fortunate. Before they could pull back completely, dark purple lightning erupted in all directions, vaporizing two cultivators on the spot. Flesh and blood splattered across the ground, making the already corpse-littered battlefield even more gruesome.

Those who had been greedily rushing toward Jun Laoye moments ago froze at the sight of the explosion. Their arrogance was quickly replaced by fear, and they quickly retreated, some even stumbling backward in haste.

"You bastard! You killed my brothers!"

The cultivators farther away hadn't died, but most were gravely wounded, their bodies half-destroyed as they lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

Those standing at the outermost edge, spared from the blast's core, clutched their wounds and struggled to their feet. With bloodshot eyes, they shouted furiously at Jun Laoye, vowing revenge for their fallen comrades.

But even as they yelled and summoned their spirit qi, they instinctively edged backward.

The sheer destructive power of Jun Laoye's attack had shaken them to the core. Before they could even confirm whether he still had strength for another strike, each of them was already preparing to flee.