CHAPTER 411: CHAPTER 411 BREAKTHROUGH IN THE MIDST OF BATTLE

A fist as large as a mountaintop descended from the sky, and with a thunderous BOOM, Mo Tai was smashed deep into the earth. The once-god-slaying Titan Mountain God form appeared in such a comical way at this moment.

The Abyss Giant Beast lifted its foot once more and viciously stomped towards Mo Tai.

"Motherf*cker!" Mo Tai, lying on his back in the deep pit, spat fiercely. "Gravity Field—"

BOOM—

Smoke billowed, and the ground trembled. The surrounding mud seemed to lose its gravity, slowly rising into the sky. Mo Tai stood up again, still in his stone form.

BOOM—

The Abyss Giant Beast’s foot came crashing down. This time, however, Mo Tai managed to support the beast’s massive foot with both hands, avoiding the disarray he had experienced before.

"Die—"

The ground beneath him shattered. With a powerful shove, Mo Tai actually managed to flip the Abyss Giant Beast’s massive body to the ground.

"Attack!"

"Tai’a Sword!"

"Starlight Shine—"

"Roaring Flame Dragon Tiger Fist—"

Seizing the opportunity as the Abyss Giant Beast was toppled, the four Titled Strongmen immediately joined forces to brutally beat the downed enemy. As for the Star Sea realm experts present, those with long-range attacks could throw a shuriken from eight hundred miles away; those lacking long-range capabilities could only watch from the sidelines.

Wang Lan, his body completely drained, finished treating several severely wounded individuals. In this battle, Wang Lan hadn’t engaged in direct combat, but his contributions on the battlefield were unmatched. Almost every warrior still alive had been treated by Wang Lan; those specializing in close combat had even been healed six or seven times. Though no one spoke any melodramatic words, their gratitude towards Wang Lan was etched deep in their hearts. This would be an enduring asset for Wang Lan throughout his life.

In Jade Country, among the more than two million Star Martial Warriors—which included one million students and six hundred thousand members of the Star Martial Army—fewer than ten thousand were Star Sea realm experts. Among those ten thousand Star Sea realm experts, only a little over a thousand were at the pinnacle of the Star Sea realm. Such a small number, spread across the entire Jade Country, made them as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. The fewer than one hundred pinnacle Star Sea realm experts present already constituted a tenth of Jade Country’s top combat strength.

In the past, even though Wang Lan had the reputation of being the Flame Emperor’s son, it was, after all, an inherited status from his mother. Even as people from the Flame Emperor’s lineage held expectations for Wang Lan, they did not fully recognize him. An unknown son of the Flame Emperor suddenly appearing out of nowhere—who could accept that? If Eld Di himself hadn’t said it, some people would have already rolled up their sleeves to subject this fellow, who dared blaspheme Lord Flame Emperor, to one hundred and eight forms of extreme torture. It was common knowledge that the Flame Emperor had never married; so where did a son come from, let alone a biological one?

Regardless, both Eld Di and Wang Qi outwardly claimed that Wang Lan was Wang Ling’s biological son. Even if those in the Flame Emperor’s lineage couldn’t make sense of it, they had no choice but to accept it as truth. As Wang Lan rose rapidly, his existence gradually gained acceptance. If he weren’t such a Demon, a monstrous talent from the Flame Emperor’s lineage, how could he be so outrageously skilled? Now, if you said he wasn’t the Flame Emperor’s own Demon offspring, nobody would believe it.

But acknowledging one’s existence does not mean approval. Why should someone leap into fire and water for you if they haven’t eaten your rice or received your favor? A single word from the Flame Emperor, and many would stand up to die for her. But Wang Lan... he didn’t have that pull.

When Wang Lan last clashed with the Duanmu Family, the Flame Emperor’s lineage at most provided remote assistance. No one jumped out immediately to declare, "This person is under my protection; touch him, and you’re dead." As long as the Duanmu Family didn’t directly attack Wang Lan, they just watched coldly. It wasn’t until Duanmu Yi was killed by Wang Lan that Zuo Ming, fearing a desperate backlash from the Duanmu Family, represented the Flame Emperor’s lineage and paid a visit to the Duanmu Family. At that time, Wang Lan’s victory relied on the Tianjian Bureau lineage and his past great achievements for Jade Country. Without national-level support, could he have manipulated public opinion and various forces to render the Duanmu Family powerless to retaliate? Dream on!

But now, Wang Lan was different. The next time Wang Lan encountered some unseeing Star Martial noble family, even a top-tier one, he wouldn’t even need to speak. This group of people, upon hearing the news, would rush to intervene immediately. How could one trivialize a life-saving grace?

After sending off the last person, Wang Lan leaned tiredly against a small Mandala Flower and took a short rest. An overwhelming urge to sleep washed over him, but he dared not succumb. The Mandala Flower forest was collapsing rapidly. Having been without Wang Lan’s control for so long, the Star Power provided by the three Exotic Beasts alone was insufficient to maintain it. Forcing himself to stay alert, Wang Lan brought his hands together.

"Senro Funerals—"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—

Three sounds, like eggs being crushed, rang out as three giant vine-eggs rapidly collapsed and deformed.

"Cross-level kill. Reward: 60,000 experience points, 3,000 skill points."

"Cross-level kill. Reward: 60,000 experience points, 3,000 skill points."

"Cross-level kill. Reward: 60,000 experience points, 3,000 skill points."

Three pleasant notifications echoed in his mind. Wang Lan smiled wryly and swayed slightly. The Phoenix Form combined with the Star Sky God Arrow—the previous dual exhaustion had caused him to faint instantly, and he should have fainted this time as well. But Wang Lan had managed to hold on through sheer, unimaginable willpower.

"Wang Lan, how are you?" a voice called out. A Vermilion Bird Squad warrior, his military uniform tattered, had appeared beside Wang Lan at some unknown point, handing him an energy bar.

Wang Lan smiled and shook his head; he was tired, not hungry.

Though the man’s uniform was in tatters, his demeanor remained sharp and striking. Some people, even dressed in rags, exude an imperial aura just by standing there. While this man before him didn’t quite have an emperor’s imposing presence, he was certainly full of vigor. There was something familiar about his features, though, as if he resembled someone Wang Lan knew.

"I’m okay, just a bit tired," Wang Lan said casually. "You look a bit like someone..."

"Gong Jian?"

"Uh... yes, that’s him."

"He’s my maternal uncle."

"Hm? Your uncle? Is he that old? I thought he was still quite young."

"My uncle is only thirty-two this year, not that old," the man replied. He wasn’t as taciturn as Wang Lan had initially guessed and, sitting beside Wang Lan, began to chat.

Gusts of wind howled in the distance. The four Titled Strongmen were locked in a fierce, inseparable battle with the Abyss Giant Beast. Jiang Xin had stayed behind solely to protect Wang Lan.

To think that I, Wang Lan, have roamed the martial world for a year and a half and have never been a burden. Yet, it seems I couldn’t escape being a deadweight this time after all. How shameful.

Suddenly, Wang Lan jolted.

He quickly sank his consciousness into his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness and opened the system. To his surprise, the five million experience points required to upgrade to Galaxy Level Five had, at some unknown point, been completely filled!

Seeing Wang Lan jolt, Jiang Xin immediately stood up, vigilantly sensing for any disturbances in the surroundings. If Wang Lan was safe, he was safe; if Wang Lan perished, he would perish with him. This was the solemn vow he had made when his brothers entrusted Wang Lan’s safety to him. But Jiang Xin understood that even if he himself died, Wang Lan could not suffer the slightest harm.

"No sign of enemies..." Jiang Xin muttered.

But in an instant, a clear Star Energy Fluctuation washed over them.

"Who’s there?" Jiang Xin whirled around. When he saw the source of the Star Energy Fluctuation, he froze on the spot, dumbfounded.

The Star Energy Fluctuation pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat, expanding and contracting. At this moment, however, Jiang Xin felt as if a stampede of wild horses was trampling through his heart. Wang Lan’s Star Energy Fluctuation was perfectly rhythmic; even Jiang Xin’s own heart pounded with a frantic, yet steady, beat that couldn’t mask his inner turmoil.

Does Wang Lan’s condition even need to be re-evaluated? He’s drained of Star Power, as wrung out as spent medicinal dregs! How arduous was this battle? How much effort did Wang Lan expend? Everyone knew! Just moments ago, Wang Lan said he was overexerted and needed to rest, and now you’re breaking through? You’re a genius, a true Demon, but can you please try to be a bit more human? You make me, a twenty-five-year-old at the peak of the Star Sea realm, feel completely unaccomplished! Is this the kind of talent needed to challenge the Five Emperors? Do I... still have a chance?

Thoughts tumbled chaotically through Jiang Xin’s mind. He no longer knew what to think, only that the scene before him had completely shattered his worldview.

At this moment, Wang Lan stretched lazily against a vine, as if he had just woken up, feeling as refreshed as if it were a brand new morning full of vitality.

"Refreshing!" Wang Lan exclaimed, his voice full of vigor, and with a WHOOSH, he leaped to his feet.

You’re refreshed? Of course, you are! Who wouldn’t feel great after breaking through in such a state? Jiang Xin thought.

But Wang Lan felt refreshed because the breakthrough had completely cleared away the negative state caused by his overexertion. This was another of the system’s miraculous effects. For anyone else, a breakthrough would typically drain their energy completely, making the process as arduous as a crab shedding its shell. But for Wang Lan, leveling up meant a full recovery, a return to peak condition.

"Brother Jiang, I’ve recovered now! Let’s go reinforce them!"

Watching Wang Lan’s spirited declaration, what could Jiang Xin say? I’m tired too... But with their comrades desperately fighting the Abyss Giant Beast, he didn’t hesitate. His figure flickered and vanished in an instant.

The cooldown for the Phoenix Form was twenty-four hours, but the Star Sky God Arrow had no such restriction. Wang Lan once again summoned the Vermilion Bird Saint Cloth. Shouldering his Zanpakuto, his form transformed, and he moved like the Lurking Butterfly Dance.

The battlefield had shifted twenty kilometers away. There, the four Titled Strongmen were still executing a perfectly coordinated kiting strategy, while the Abyss Giant Beast continued its rampage, sweeping through everything with an air of invincibility.

Star Sea realm warriors couldn’t even get within eight hundred meters of the Abyss Giant Beast, a distance that was already the limit for most Star Martial Skills. Most of the teachers sent as reinforcements lacked such long-range attacks, so they could only watch for an opportunity to get close, unleash a volley, and then immediately retreat.

Only the warriors of the Vermilion Bird Squad, relying on their battle formation, could maintain sustained long-range damage output. And it had to be said, the combined damage from the more than forty Vermilion Bird Squad members was far greater than that of any single Titled Strongman, causing the Abyss Giant Beast to let out pained roars. However, due to the continuous hit-and-run interference from the four Titled Strongmen, the Abyss Giant Beast’s attempts to eliminate the Vermilion Bird Squad warriors had repeatedly failed.

They planned to slowly wear down the Abyss Giant Beast’s defenses and combat strength using this "boiling the frog slowly" method. Once its defenses were breached, they would swarm in and finish it off in one decisive wave.

And it seemed the crucial moment to breach the Abyss Giant Beast’s defenses was awaiting Wang Lan’s arrival.

Wang Lan’s figure flickered, and he arrived at the front lines. Longya spotted him immediately.

"There’s nothing for you here! What are you doing?" Longya barked urgently.

"I’m here to assist..."

"Go back! The situation is currently in our favor. Just retreat to the side and heal our brothers. Don’t cause any more trouble!"

"The Exotic Beast’s defensive barrier is pretty tough, huh..." Wang Lan said, looking at the Abyss Giant Beast before them.

"No shit! If it were easy, would it be called an ’Abyss’ creature?"

"Is its weak point at the vibrational center of its barrier?" Wang Lan asked gravely.

"The center is both its weakest and strongest point. Only those at the Five Emperors level possess the power to shatter the Abyss Giant Beast’s core. We can only grind it down slowly..." Before Longya could finish, Wang Lan had already vanished.

"Where are you going? Don’t get in the way of the Vermilion Bird Squad!"