A Heaven-tier Weapon Master, killing him with one punch?

The man blowing the suona was utterly shocked.

In this world, it was already impossible for an Earth-tier Weapon Master to defeat a Heaven-tier Weapon Master.

As for a Heaven-tier Weapon Master achieving the state of "Unity with the Heavens," there was only one recorded case—and even that was of someone whose excessive indulgence in lust affected his cultivation. When he attempted to enter "Unity with the Heavens," he failed to clench his control and died on the spot.No?v(el)B\\jnn

But now, right before their eyes, Mo Sankong had been utterly obliterated with just one punch from Qi Yuan!

The sheer weight of such an achievement was utterly terrifying.

Confusion, ecstasy, doubt, shock... All kinds of emotions flickered across the faces of the crowd.

At that moment, Chen Kangbao wore an exaggerated expression as he exclaimed, "This son-in-law is actually this powerful!"

Qi Yuan heard this and felt immensely pleased with himself.

This was exactly the kind of reaction he was looking for.

The Confucian-robed scholar narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

Such a powerful and mysterious individual—he was just a son-in-law?

"Too strong!" Tu Sihai muttered, swallowing hard.

Now, he was utterly humbled by the arrogance he had displayed earlier.

As for the younger of the Blackshade Brothers, his heart was in his throat, terrified that Qi Yuan might harbor a grudge against him for his earlier dismissiveness.

"Sigh, I’d really like to see just how breathtaking this Miss Lingxuan must be, to make such an extraordinary man marry into her family," someone murmured wistfully.

Qi Yuan casually took Mo Sankong’s storage artifact, extracted the silver stored within, and then selected a few materials from it.

"The rest of these weapons are yours," he said indifferently and tossed them aside.

To him, even Heaven-tier weapons were less useful than Heaven-tier materials.

After all, he would need to reforge them anyway to extract the materials he required, which was a tedious process.

But for the Weapon Masters present, it was a different story. They weren’t Artifact Masters, and even those who were would prefer ready-made weapons to raw materials.

They took the discarded weapons, excitement glowing in their eyes.

Even Wang Dao, who had just entered the ranks of Earth-tier Weapon Masters, managed to get a peak Earth-tier weapon.

Qi Yuan turned his gaze to the Confucian-robed scholar, his expression calm. "Do you know Chen Kangbao?"

Chen Kangbao looked puzzled. "You know me?"

The Confucian-robed scholar’s face held a look of reminiscence. "Thirty years ago, when I was still young, I traveled the world and met Brother Chen. Brother Chen was a genius Artifact Master—talented, resourceful, and unparalleled in his craft."

Hearing this, Chen Kangbao’s face lit up with joy. "Young Master, did you hear that? I’m resourceful! I’m more than qualified to be your strategist!"

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at Chen Kangbao’s current demeanor, his thoughts conflicted. "Later, a group of mysterious individuals sought out Brother Chen... They wanted him to join them in accomplishing some great undertaking. As for the details... this old man does not know. All I know is that it involved forging an extraordinary artifact."

"The Radiance Society?" Qi Yuan asked casually.

He was reminded of how this body’s father had once tried to recruit a blind Artifact Master into an organization that was apparently also working to forge a powerful artifact.

Later, Fang Shisan from the Radiance Society had even attempted to assassinate him. If it weren’t for their fear of the Spirit Parasite Gu within him, they likely would have attacked him outright.

The Confucian-robed scholar’s face changed multiple times before he finally nodded. "It’s just as I suspected."

"That’s all?" Chen Kangbao wasn’t particularly interested in this. "Since you know me, can you describe any other strengths I have? Preferably using four-character idioms?"

Chen Kangbao looked at the scholar expectantly.

"Lofty and reclusive, as serene as jade..." After much thought, the Confucian-robed scholar managed to squeeze out these words.

The current Chen Kangbao—eccentric and half-crazed—was completely unrecognizable compared to the serene, altruistic, and ambitious genius Artifact Master he had once been.

"Hehe, I didn’t know this old man had so many virtues," Chen Kangbao said with a pleased, slightly lewd grin.

"Why are you here?" Qi Yuan asked, looking at the Confucian-robed scholar.

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at Chen Kangbao with a complicated gaze. "Back then, it wasn’t just Brother Chen who was invited by the Radiance Society. Even my elder brother was invited. I wish... to bring back his remains so that he doesn’t have to lie buried in a foreign land."

At this, the scholar’s eyes dimmed with sorrow.

"So, they were invited to the Ten Thousand Mountain Abyss to forge an artifact for the Radiance Society?" Qi Yuan pondered aloud.

No wonder Chen Kangbao reacted strongly upon hearing the name "Ten Thousand Mountain Abyss." It seemed to have triggered his storyline.

"In that case, let’s head inside and take a look. We might also find Shen Lingxuan along the way," Qi Yuan said, striding forward.

The others quickly followed. The Confucian-robed scholar hesitated but ultimately pressed on despite his injuries.

The ruins were dimly lit, with an eerie atmosphere. The corners were damp, and the entire place felt uninviting.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the group stopped before a massive stone slab.

The slab was enormous, at least a hundred meters in both length and width, and appeared to be a single piece.

It was covered in moss and stained with what appeared to be blood.

The sound of dripping water echoed through the space.

Suddenly, a piercing, shrill roar broke the silence.

The source of the sound was a specter resembling a moth, but with a human face. Its appearance was especially horrifying.

"Just a mere specter dares to act insolent? Watch as this son-in-law takes care of it!" Qi Yuan shouted boldly, stepping forward.

The Confucian-robed scholar froze for a moment, finding the situation rather strange.

At this moment, Tu Sihai said anxiously, "That’s a Xuan-tier Human-Faced Moth, and it’s at the peak of the Xuan tier. Its specialty is speed! You’re just a son-in-law—how dare you provoke it?"

The Confucian-robed scholar doubted his ears.

"Human-Faced Moths are especially unique among specters. They are the kings among specters. You’re merely a son-in-law—don’t throw your life away!"

The scholar’s mind went blank.

"Offending the great Human-Faced Moth means you’ll face the wrath of the Shen Clan!" someone else added.

"There will be no place for you in Ning Country!"

Other Earth-tier Weapon Masters joined in, mocking and ridiculing him. Their words seemed to emphasize how fearsome the Human-Faced Moth was, while also belittling Qi Yuan as nothing more than a son-in-law.

This baffled the Confucian-robed scholar.

He was a Heaven-tier Weapon Master and could see the Xuan-tier Human-Faced Moth’s true nature at a glance.

Could it be... he was mistaken?

For a moment, he doubted his own judgment.

"Hmph! Even if I’m a son-in-law, no one is allowed to insult me!"

With that, Qi Yuan transformed into a cannonball, launching himself at the Human-Faced Moth.

The mockery abruptly ceased, and the sound of the suona rose again.

"Son-in-laws are not to be humiliated!"

A powerful punch ripped through the air, producing a white burst of energy.

The once-ferocious Human-Faced Moth froze mid-flight.

It didn’t even have the chance to say, "Wait... you’re that strong?"

Boom!

With one punch, a hundred strikes followed!

The Human-Faced Moth’s body shattered completely, leaving nothing behind.

"You... a mere son-in-law, actually killed a Human-Faced Moth!"

"How is this possible? That was a Xuan-tier Human-Faced Moth!"

The surrounding Weapon Masters hastily set their suonas aside, indulging in their dramatic performances.

The Confucian-robed scholar was entirely at a loss. At this point, he dared not speak.

He could only feel that this entire group was utterly insane.

"What a pity," Qi Yuan remarked regretfully. "It didn’t work hard enough. If it had cultivated to the Heaven tier, that would’ve been truly satisfying."

Slaying the Human-Faced Moth only gave him a tiny bit of experience.

Had it been a Heaven-tier specter, the experience gained would’ve been far greater, and Qi Yuan could’ve absorbed enough "Unity with the Heavens" energy to make significant progress.

The energy he obtained from Mo Sankong and the Spirit Parasite Gu was far too meager to push him beyond level 120.

---

“Who would have thought... this place is actually a Specter-Restricted Zone!”

Fifth Wei, dressed in golden silk robes with a snake embroidered on his waist in jade thread, exuded an air of authority and menace.

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Qi Yuan’s gaze burned like fire.

Behind him, mocking voices rose in unison, as if rehearsed.

Qi Yuan’s arm transformed into a giant blade.

Unyielding strength and unparalleled sharpness exploded forth as he struck the weakened section of the underground palace.

Boom!

With a powerful strike, a two-meter-wide breach appeared.

The Confucian-robed scholar’s eyes filled with astonishment, quickly followed by a sense of loss and confusion.

“Let’s... go inside and take a look.”

Although the scholar had received information that the Artifact Masters in the Strange Domain had failed...

What if they hadn’t?

He still harbored a shred of hope.

The group stepped into the opening immediately.

An overwhelming stench of decay and rot assaulted their senses—a nauseating blend of death and ancient mildew.

It was as if they had entered a tomb sealed for thousands of years.

Tu Sihai wrinkled his nose in disgust, his complexion pale.

The others instinctively covered their noses, their expressions similarly grim.

Chen Kangbao, however, seemed unfazed. With a peculiar expression on his face, he muttered, “I... feel hungry.”

As he spoke, he took out a steamed bun and began devouring it. His stomach, already round and bloated, showed no signs of slowing him down as he ate ravenously.

Qi Yuan’s sharp eyes scanned the interior.

What stretched out before him was a desolate sea of white—endless skeletons.

The remains of countless individuals were scattered across the ground, their postures twisted in agony, as if they had endured unbearable suffering before death.

Some skeletons, however, were seated upright, their bones arranged neatly and solemnly, as though they had faced death with calm resolve.

Qi Yuan’s gaze eventually settled on one particular skeleton.

This one was draped in a tattered black cloak and held a broken sword in its bony hand.

The broken sword exuded a faint yet ominous aura, though its spiritual essence had long since faded.

“Is this... a divine artifact?” Qi Yuan asked, his voice calm but steady.

Ten years ago, this black-robed individual must have wielded that broken sword, slashing repeatedly at the underground palace in a desperate attempt to carve an escape route.

Now, however, the sword had lost all its spiritual essence, leaving it even weaker than a Heaven-tier artifact.

“This is the corpse of a Divine-tier master,” Qi Yuan remarked, his tone devoid of emotion.

The breathing of those around him grew heavy as their gazes unconsciously fell on the storage artifact clasped within the bony hand of the skeleton.

Yet, seeing that Qi Yuan made no move, none of them dared act rashly.

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at the endless field of skeletons before them, and his entire being seemed to collapse. His vitality, his strength, all seemed to drain from him.

“They’re dead... all of them... dead...” he murmured in despair, slumping onto the ground with lifeless eyes.

Qi Yuan’s attention turned to the massive stone slab nearby.

“There’s writing here,” he noted.

The others hurried over, crowding around to look.

On the stone slab was a dense inscription, written in ancient script:

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"My name is Qian Muzhi, the Grandmaster of Sang Country..."

“What?! Qian Muzhi! One of the top three Divine-tier masters in the world? He vanished fifty years ago—he’s here!” Tu Sihai exclaimed, his breathing quickening.

"Night has fallen. The specters run rampant. The frontlines are collapsing. Realms are falling one by one. The Blue Mountain Realm... may be the next to fall."

Those present turned pale as they read this, their expressions shifting to one of abject horror.

“Weren’t the Specter-Restricted Zones cleared long ago? How is this possible...” They felt as though they had stumbled upon a horrifying secret, one that sent a chill down their spines.

"In the short span of a thousand years, seventeen realms have already fallen, becoming paradises for specters.

In another thousand years, the next to fall... will be the Blue Mountain Realm."

"To protect the Blue Mountain Realm, the Radiance Society told me that we must gather all the world’s Artifact Masters and forge the Divine Light Treasure.

The Light of Divinity... will be our only chance of survival.

For thirty years, even as more and more genius Artifact Masters abandoned their names and joined us, we still failed."

The words carved onto the stone slab were plain and unadorned, but a deep sense of despair seeped into the hearts of those who read them.

"Within the Strange Domain were 300,000 anonymous geniuses. Each of them was a true prodigy.

Had they lived and grown, they would have become the pride of their realms. Some might even have been remembered throughout history."

The Confucian-robed scholar muttered, “Three hundred thousand Artifact Masters... they hid themselves in these mountains, giving up their identities and ambitions, all to forge fragments of the Divine Light Treasure in the hope of giving the Blue Mountain Realm the power to resist the specters.”

"But human will cannot defy the heavens. The gods ultimately did not bestow us their mercy.

I was unwilling to give up... We were only one step away from success. How could we abandon our efforts?

Success meant death, failure also meant death... Why would we fear death?"

"So we forged ourselves into artifacts!

And with our artifacts, we forged even greater artifacts!

Our blood and flesh, our very lives... all were cast into the Divine Furnace, hoping to awaken that mighty god, to have its gaze fall upon the Heavenly Source!"

The people of the Strange Domain had sacrificed everything to forge the Heavenly Source, a fragment of the Divine Light Treasure.

Their hope was to awaken a mighty god who would transform the Heavenly Source into the Divine Light Treasure, granting their realm salvation.

But they had failed.

Even after all their efforts, they had failed.

The Heavenly Source was imperfect, unable to attract the attention of the gods. Without divine favor, how could light ever descend upon them?

In the end, they sacrificed the spiritual essence of every artifact they had. They sacrificed their own blood and flesh to feed the Heavenly Source, making it more complete.

But even then, the gods did not cast their gaze upon them.

"So hungry..." Chen Kangbao, who had been reading silently, sat down on the ground, still nibbling on his steamed bun.

Every resource within the underground palace, from food to artifacts, had been sacrificed to the Heavenly Source.

The Heavenly Source had consumed everything.

Even the Artifact Masters themselves had cast their own flesh and blood into the Heavenly Source.

"Every day, someone would die. So many were starving... so, so hungry. But no one dared eat anything. Everything was fed to the Heavenly Source, even our own flesh and blood."

"I even thought about hacking apart the underground palace to feed the Heavenly Source. But I failed."

"I do not know how much more the Heavenly Source must consume, nor how long it will take for the gods to open their eyes and glance this way."

The writing etched into the stone radiated a bleak despair.

"We sat here waiting for death. Those who could no longer bear the hunger... I ended their suffering and fed them to the Heavenly Source."

Once someone entered the Strange Domain, there was no escape.

The power of the Heavenly Source had transformed the entire domain into a land of death.

The underground palace had once been home to 300,000 anonymous geniuses, toiling day and night to perfect the Heavenly Source. They poured their very lives into it.

But even after all this, they failed.

"In the end, I used the Radiance Society’s teleportation array to send five people out.

I hoped they could return in five years, bringing the Radiance Society back to the Strange Domain.

Five years should be enough for the Heavenly Source to consume everything here.

Whether or not the gods opened their eyes... I will never know."

The inscription ended abruptly.

Qian Muzhi sat upon the cold stone slab, his skeletal hand still clutching the broken sword. His flesh had long since been devoured. Whether his final moments were filled with hope or despair was a mystery lost to time.

Chen Kangbao stuffed the last of his steamed bun into his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he suddenly had a thought.

“Young Master, so many people have died here. Should we... host a feast for them? Let them eat something too.”