At the same time—
As soon as the Soul Guard made their move, countless experts across the Imperial Capital were alarmed. In an instant, masters from all sides released their spiritual senses to probe in this direction.
Some bold ones even rushed over at top speed to watch the battle from nearby.
Even before the blade-light arrived—
The void around Ian Song was suddenly frozen, stopping him from dodging.
“Hmph!”
A cold snort echoed.
The Thunder Hell Astral Canon inside Ian Song’s body began circulating at high speed. At the same time, he kept forming thunder seals with both hands, and in a split second, he unleashed three hundred ninety-six thunder seals. Just then, his sea of consciousness suddenly connected to a dimensional space.
It was a dimension filled with terrifying thunder force—so destructive that even gods entering it would be blasted to pieces.
Thunder represents punishment, but also contains the spark of life.
As if guided by intuition, Ian Song drew a thread of power from the thunder dimension into his sea of consciousness.
It was only a single strand of thunder force, but its destructive power could wipe out heaven and earth. Ian even felt that if this thunder force exploded inside his sea of consciousness, his soul might be annihilated on the spot.
Connecting to a dimensional space and borrowing its power for oneself—this is a privilege only Immortal Tomes possess.
Not to mention, the Thunder Hell Astral Canon is an exceptionally formidable Immortal Tome. The stronger the Immortal Tome, the stronger the dimension it can connect to—and the thunder dimension is definitely among the most terrifying.
Previously, Gavin Ji had also condensed a thunder pool during battle to supply himself with energy.
But compared to the thunder force of a dimensional space, that thunder pool was nothing.
As the Thunder Hell Astral Canon circulated, the strand of thunder force in his sea of consciousness was rapidly assimilated, turning into Ian Song’s own energy. In that instant, he felt his strength multiply several times over, almost to the point of feeling overstuffed.
“Shatter!”
He threw out two quick punches, meeting the two blade-lights brimming with death energy head-on.
Thunder is the nemesis of all negative energy.
So when his thunder-charged fists collided with the two blade-lights, after just half a beat, both unstoppable blade-lights were shattered outright.
The hidden geniuses watching from around the battlefield were all stunned by this scene.
They could all sense just how terrifying those blade-lights were. If they’d been in Ian’s place, their bodies would’ve been obliterated instantly.
“That Evan Chu is actually this strong!”
“Looks like he still hadn’t revealed his true strength when he killed Yann Ji!”
“Unbelievable! How can a nobody from the outer regions be this powerful? Even the number one genius on the Hatchling Dragon Ranking is a joke in front of him!”
“Pathetic! Ridiculous! As long as Evan Chu survives tonight, us Central Domain geniuses will never be able to hold our heads up in front of him again!”
…………
Not to mention the complicated feelings of the crowd watching the battle.
Meanwhile, hidden in a layer of the void, Fifth Master Ji’s eyes were wide with shock—he sensed that Ian Song’s two punches were anything but ordinary. The thunder aura in those fists gave him a strange, familiar feeling.
After thinking hard, he finally remembered—the aura was partly similar to the Ji Clan’s Thunder Ninefold Severance.
Thunder Ninefold Severance is an Immortal-grade sword art created by a Ji ancestor, who witnessed the Radiant Emperor in action and, after the old dynasty fell, obtained one-tenth of the Thunder Hell Astral Canon to develop it.
Although Thunder Ninefold Severance counts as an Immortal Tome, it’s still miles apart from the Thunder Hell Astral Canon.
The thunder aura in Evan Chu’s fists felt so pure that he was almost certain Evan had cultivated the Thunder Hell Astral Canon.
The Thunder Hell Astral Canon was the strongest cultivation method of the former imperial family—only the emperor and crown prince could cultivate it.
After the old dynasty was destroyed, this powerful Immortal Tome disappeared. Rumor has it the Radiant Emperor placed the Thunder Hell Astral Canon’s secret manual in the Radiant Emperor’s Treasure Vault before the empire collapsed.
All these years, the Ji Clan has been searching for the Radiant Emperor’s Treasure Vault, but they’ve found nothing.
Now that the Thunder Hell Astral Canon has resurfaced and Evan Chu has mastered it, doesn’t that mean he entered the Radiant Emperor’s Treasure Vault?
No wonder his strength soared to this level in such a short time! He must have gotten into the Radiant Emperor’s Treasure Vault—only with those terrifying resources could he reach this kind of power!
Thinking of this, Fifth Master Ji’s gaze toward Ian Song grew even more feverish.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Four looming shadows flashed past, and four towering figures appeared around Ian Song.
They carried no trace of human aura, only a thick, murderous malice and savage qi.
"Kill!"
All four Soul Guard snarled in unison, then lunged straight at Ian.
Two wielded blades, while the other two attacked with fists and kicks.
The void was ripped apart, as if the end of the world had arrived. The combined assault of the four Soul Guard was utterly terrifying.
Meanwhile, Ian drew out two more strands of thunder force from the lightning dimension, fusing them into his own power. He felt like he was about to burst, desperate to vent the energy surging inside him.
So instead of dodging, he charged straight into the four Soul Guard.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
It was as if the world had been pierced through, heaven and earth shattered, and doomsday was at hand.
The five-way melee unleashed unbelievable energy—just the shockwaves alone flattened buildings across the city, and countless unlucky residents who couldn't escape in time became casualties.
Fifth Master Ji's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he stared at Ian, murmuring, "The Thunder Hell Astral Canon really is a supreme Immortal Tome. This Evan Chu can actually withstand so many exchanges with the Soul Guard without falling!"
All around, the hidden spectators were deeply shaken by Ian's terrifying strength.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Suddenly, Ian's fighting spirit erupted. He blasted three Soul Guard away, then pounced on the fourth. In an instant, he unleashed hundreds of punches, each strong enough to instantly obliterate a ninth-tier War General.
That Soul Guard struggled desperately, but couldn't withstand Ian's onslaught, and was smashed into the ground, leaving behind a bottomless crater.
But to Ian's shock, the Soul Guard he'd hammered into the earth wasn't injured at all. He found it unbelievable—those hundreds of punches should have shattered even an early Human Immortal's immortal body. How was this guy unscathed?
Before Ian could think further, the other three Soul Guard rushed him.
The Soul Guard he'd knocked down also shot out of the crater, rejoining the encirclement.
In the blink of an eye, they traded hundreds more moves in a battle that shook the heavens and earth. Ian, staying cautious, finally saw through the truth: these Soul Guard weren't truly human. Their bodies were even tougher than an early Human Immortal's immortal body—at least on par with mid-to-late Human Immortal level.