Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 733 No one can escape!
As the golden soul jade was crushed, a terrifying power suddenly surged out from the golden light, containing a chilling killing intent that could freeze one's soul.

The power instantly condensed and shaped in the air, transforming into a long, straight sword about seven feet long, seemingly real yet illusory.

The blade is transparent, as if it were made of flowing golden energy, both real and illusory.

The moment the energy blade appeared, it pierced the ground less than three feet in front of Liang Jin!

The knife tip sank into the rock without making a sound, as if it were not a hard rock layer, but a calm water surface.

The moment the straight blade appeared, Liang Jin's enormous dragon-demon body tensed up, and his triple defenses—protective true qi, black-gold dragon scales, and azure lightning—were instantly activated to their maximum!
A sense of crisis washed over me like ice water!
next moment.

"Swish, swish, swish—!"

It wasn't a straight blade coming from in front of him, but from the ground beneath his feet!

Centered on the golden straight sword that was stuck in the ground, within a radius of one zhang, countless golden sword energies, as solid as tangible metal, burst forth from the ground without warning!

They didn't scatter randomly, but like living golden venomous snakes, with a sharp whooshing sound, they wove an impenetrable net of death, shooting towards Liang Jin, who was surrounded at the center, from every possible angle!

Liang Jin's first reaction was naturally to rely on his superb lightness skill to dodge.

However, just as he tried to move, his heart sank:
"Can't move?"

It was as if this space, which was about ten feet in diameter, had been completely "nailed" shut by the power of that golden straight blade!
An invisible yet vast and boundless power enveloped this area, forming a powerful spatial confinement!

Even with his dragon-demon power capable of uprooting mountains and shaking peaks, he felt as if he were trapped in the thickest amber, making every movement incredibly difficult and slow. Breaking free from the shackles of this space would not be an instantaneous task!
And it was this moment of delay that determined the arrival of the crisis!
The dense barrage of sword energy had already struck Liang Jin.

"Bang bang bang bang bang-!!!"

The dense, thunderous impacts, like the sound of ten thousand drums beating in unison, instantly engulfed Liang Jin's massive body!

The first layer, protective true qi! That layer of defense, composed of pure internal energy, was like ice and snow under the sun the moment it came into contact with the golden sword energy. It couldn't even hold out for a moment before letting out a mournful cry and collapsing with a bang!

Although the Iron Cauldron Golden Body Technique is a Xuan-level secret manual, enough to make ordinary martial artists look down on others, it is too fragile to be defeated in front of the power of a first-level martial artist!
The second layer: the power of lightning! Azure lightning flashed wildly, forming a fierce repulsive force field that clashed violently with countless golden blade energies, producing a deafening "sizzling" sound!
Electric snakes danced wildly, attempting to deflect and redirect the deadly golden light.

This layer of defense was far more resilient than the protective inner energy, and it lasted for about the time it takes to take a deep breath.

However, countless golden sword energies surged forward relentlessly, until finally, amidst a violent flash of energy annihilation, the lightning field let out a mournful cry of resentment, disintegrating inch by inch like shattered glass!
Liang Jin only consumed one Lightning Strike Fruit, and the accumulated lightning power was ultimately too weak.

The third layer: Black Gold Dragon Scales! This is Liang Jin's most prized physical defense!
Without the first two layers of buffer, the golden blade energy finally crashed hard into the scales that covered the entire body and shimmered with a metallic glow!
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Sizzle—!"

At first, it was a loud clang of metal clashing, but soon it turned into a piercing sound of scales shattering and being forcibly torn apart!
Those golden blade energies may seem small, but they contain an indestructible penetrating and destructive force!

One by one, the dragon scales, harder than refined steel, shattered and flew away under the impact of the golden light, revealing the equally tough but now unprotected dark red muscle tissue beneath!
Severe pain!

The excruciating pain, like a tidal wave, instantly swept through every nerve in Liang Jin's body!
This was no ordinary pain from a blade cutting; the golden blade energy seemed to contain a terrifying will that could tear apart the soul and annihilate life!
Each slash of sword energy that entered his body felt like a knife being slashed across his soul!

"Uhhhhhhhh-!"

Even with Liang Jin's unwavering will, he couldn't help but let out a low growl of pain at this moment.

His massive body trembled violently under the impact of the dense sword energy, his muscles were taut to the limit, and his dark blue veins bulged out like writhing dragons under his broken skin!
Blood gushed out like a fountain from countless wounds on his body, staining the ground beneath his feet a ghastly dark red.

The once majestic and ferocious dragon demon's body is now riddled with holes, its flesh torn and even revealing its white bones in many places, making it look extremely tragic!
Only the dragon arms that had transformed into dragon claws, with their mystery and resilience far exceeding that of other parts of the body, remained largely intact despite the frenzied baptism of the golden sword energy, even though the scales had developed numerous cracks.

"A first-grade martial artist's powerful strike... truly lives up to his reputation!"

Liang Jin gritted his teeth, and for the first time, a deep shock was reflected in his cold, vertical pupils.

He once fought against the Demon Lord of Wuxu, who had forcibly raised himself to the first rank by relying on his demonic armor, and defeated him. This made him somewhat disdainful of the first rank realm.

Only now, having personally experienced this strike delivered by a true first-grade martial artist burning their life and soul, did he finally realize the truth!

The difference between the "pseudo-first-grade" Wuxu Demon Lord, who relied on external forces to break through his realm, and the true first-grade who relied on his own efforts to break through his realm, is like heaven and earth!

And the strike within this golden soul jade is a genuine move from a first-grade expert!

The power of this move is far greater than that of the original attack by the Demon Lord of Wuxu!

"Why is there such a big difference between first-rank and second-rank?"

Liang Jin was secretly alarmed.

Although there is only one realm difference between the first and second ranks, the difference in strength between the two sides is as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Liang Jin now completely disregards the attacks of second-rank martial artists. Just now, Chi Le's Great Desert Soul Burial Wheel move couldn't even break through Liang Jin's lightning power.

However, this first-rank martial artist's attack easily shattered all his defenses!
The gap between the fifth and sixth ranks is like an insurmountable chasm.

The difference between the second rank and the first rank is like heaven and earth!
Previously, Liang Jin could easily fight opponents of higher ranks. When he broke through to the second rank, he once thought that he could fight against a first-rank martial artist as well.

However, at this moment, Liang Jincai truly realized that a real first-rank martial artist was too terrifying and could still threaten him.

Only when he puts on the Destroyer Armor does he have enough strength and confidence to fight it.

"Hahahaha!"

In the distance, the sound of King Hunxiu's wild laughter, a mixture of relief and unbridled joy, drifted over:
"Meng Xinghun! Do you feel the despair? This is 'Aurora Shattering Cloud Flash'! It is the final gift left by a reclusive senior of my Black Dragon Empire before his passing! How can your mortal strength possibly withstand its power?"

"No matter how powerful your physical body becomes, today you are destined to be annihilated, body and soul destroyed, and reduced to dust under this blade!"

Just as King Hunxiu said, this "Aurora Shattering Cloud Flash" may seem to have a small range and its power is far less devastating than the previous battle between the three of them, but that is precisely what makes it so terrifying!
Even the Aurora Shattering Clouds Flash looked as narrow and weak as the attack range of a fifth-rank martial artist, lacking any dazzling or magnificent effect.

However, this is precisely what makes the techniques of a first-class martial artist so terrifying!
A first-rank martial artist has reached a state of perfect control over power, returning to simplicity and authenticity. All destructive power is concentrated at a single point, with no waste, and is entirely applied to the target!

Therefore, its single-target lethality has reached an unbelievable level!

At this moment, the golden blade energy that had shattered Liang Jin's triple defenses, though its light had dimmed slightly and its power had greatly diminished, still stubbornly launched a final assault on his exposed muscles and even bones!

"Puff-puff-!"

The sound of flesh being torn apart further was chilling.

Liang Jin could clearly feel that the sharp energy was like countless fine needles, drilling into his body and frantically destroying his life force.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain. His massive body hunched slightly from the agony, yet he remained as unyielding as a demon statue nailed to the ground!
finally--

The golden light that had enveloped the heavens and earth receded abruptly like a tide.

The energy blade stuck in the ground seemed to have exhausted its last bit of power, and quietly dissipated like a sandcastle in the wind.

The endless golden sword energy surging from the ground also completely disappeared.

This move is over.

The golden soul jade also lost all its luster, turning into dust and dissipating in the wind.

The night sky was once again filled with darkness and the sandstorm that was still howling in the distance.

It was as if the devastating attack just now was merely an illusion.

Hunxiu King and Chile held their breath, their eyes fixed on the area filled with smoke and dust, their hearts pounding in their chests.

The smoke and dust slowly settled.

The figure that was still standing was revealed.

That figure could no longer be described as "intact".

Most of its scales were broken, and it was covered in blood. Deep wounds that exposed bone were all over its body, and in some places, even the movement of its internal organs could be vaguely seen.

Liang Jin hung his head and remained motionless, as if he might collapse at any moment.

"Dead...dead?"

Hunxiu Wang's voice was hoarse, filled with disbelief and anticipation.

A mixture of tension and hope flickered in Chi Le's wolf-like eyes.

however--

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

A low, hoarse laugh, which then turned into a wild and unrestrained laugh, suddenly burst forth from the seemingly dying dragon demon's body!
The laughter was filled with pain, but even more so with unparalleled joy and pride!

The sudden laughter, like a thunderclap, exploded in the ears of Hunxiu King and Chile, instantly freezing the expectation on their faces and turning it into extreme shock and bewilderment!

"Not dead?! How is that possible?!"

King Hunxiu screamed, his voice distorted.

How could someone withstand a powerful blow from a first-rank martial artist and survive?
This is simply a myth!

It's a miracle that overturns their understanding of martial arts!

Liang Jin laughed so hard that it aggravated the horrific wounds all over his body, causing him to cough up several mouthfuls of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.

But he was still laughing, laughing heartily!
He slowly raised his head. His ferocious face, which incorporated features of dragons, was pale, but his golden vertical pupils were frighteningly bright, like two eternal flames burning in the darkness!
"Just as I predicted!"

His voice was hoarse from his injuries, but it carried an unwavering confidence and arrogance:

"The golden soul jade... can no longer kill me!"

"Look carefully! I am relying solely on my own strength to withstand this! I have not used the Heavenly Tribulation! I have not moved the puppets! I have not taken any pills! I have not put on any armor!"

"From this day forward, all the golden soul jades in the world are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs to me!!"

Although his outer defenses were breached, his body and bones, forged through countless trials, especially those infused with divine blood power, were far more resilient than anyone could have imagined!

The sword energy that broke through his triple defenses had lost most of its power and become very weak. Although it could break through Liang Jin's muscles, it could not even break Liang Jin's bones.

Serious injuries were a fact. But for Liang Jin, as long as he didn't die, injuries... were never a problem!

With a thought, he opened the [Item Inventory].

The next moment, several kinds of pills, exuding a refreshing fragrance and shimmering with light, appeared out of thin air in his giant dragon claw.

Liang Jin, as if eating candy, stuffed all of this miraculous medicine—enough to make any force envious and go mad—into his huge mouth full of sharp teeth and swallowed it whole!
The next moment, a scene that terrified Hunxie Wang and Chile unfolded—

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, its immense medicinal power instantly dissolved, nourishing Liang Jin's broken body like sweet rain!
The deep, chapped wounds all over his body stopped bleeding at a visible speed, and the granulation tissue wriggled and intertwined wildly, forming a thick scab that shimmered with the luster of life!
Beneath those broken dragon scales, new, deeper, darker scales with dark lines on their edges began to grow and cover the area rapidly!
His previously faint breath suddenly surged and rose higher, like a torch thrown into a raging storm!
In just over ten breaths, although Liang Jin had not recovered to his peak condition, his terrible injuries had been almost completely healed!

The immense vitality and the renewed ferocious aura made King Hunxiu and Chile feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave!

"A monster...a real monster!!"

King Hunxiu's voice trembled; his previous ambition and domineering aura had been completely replaced by utter fear.

"This kid has so many healing pills? And their effects are so miraculous?"

"Even the golden soul jade couldn't kill him. He said he still has a trump card. Could it be... could it be that we... are going to fail?"

As a high-ranking official, King Hunxiu had naturally seen all sorts of rare treasures and magical elixirs.

He could naturally tell from the effects that every single one of the healing medicines Liang Jin was taking was a miracle drug!

Just taking out one of them would trigger a global frenzy.

But Liang Jin could produce so much at once.

This made Hunxiu Wang realize for the first time that Liang Jin probably possessed a wealth of unforeseen strength.

He had already used his biggest trump card, the golden soul jade he had painstakingly obtained, yet his opponent was still alive and kicking.

How can we fight this war then?
"King Hunxiu! Calm down!"

Chi Le suppressed the turmoil in his heart, a ruthless glint flashing in his wolf eyes:
"He was hit by your golden soul jade, so he must be at his last gasp. He's just relying on pills to keep going! He's all bark and no bite. Don't be fooled by him!"

"And me! With the final blow, I will bury him completely!"

Before he finished speaking, Chi Le let out a mournful and resolute wolf howl, and the surging divine power of the Azure Wolf and his sand-controlling ability around him burned and erupted without reservation!
With his hands as if pushing against a mountain of immense weight, he pushed forward with tremendous difficulty!
"Sandstorm Wolf...devours...the sky!!!"

Rumble——!
The sandstorm, which blotted out the sky, was frantically contracting and condensing inward!
The already enormous sand and stone wolf head became even more solid and ferocious!
It opened its enormous maw, large enough to swallow mountains, and with all of Chi Le's strength, will, and resentment, it launched a final, desperate attack on Liang Jin, who had just recovered somewhat!

Before the wolf's head even arrived, the terrifying wind pressure had already caused the ground around Liang Jin to sink several feet again!

Liang Jin raised his now clear vertical pupils and looked at the gigantic maw of death that blocked out the moonlight. Instead of fear, a hint of mockery and... pity flashed in his eyes.

"A decent strike... you've touched the edge of the first rank. Chi Le, you're already top-tier among the second rank."

He stretched his newly grown neck, which still felt tingly, and his aura returned to its former strength.

"However, it is still far inferior to the Aurora Cloud Flash sealed in the golden soul jade just now."

"My choice to withstand the golden soul jade just now was merely to test my own defensive capabilities."

"Even the Golden Soul Jade couldn't kill me, so who gave you the audacity to be so insolent before me?!"

The moment he finished speaking, Liang Jin moved!

He gripped the massive, cold-iron dragon-tooth spear tightly with both hands, the newly formed muscles on his arms taut like steel wire!
Without using any fancy moves, he simply poured all the surging power within his body, along with the "No Return" spear intent, into the spear!
"Wildfire Hundred Strikes!!"

Om-!
With a swing of the giant spear, hundreds and thousands of crimson spear shadows appeared out of thin air in an instant, like a wildfire!
Now, with his second-grade strength, he wields the Unreturning Spear Intent to unleash the "Prairie Fire Spear Technique," making its effects even more terrifying.

These spear shadows were no longer illusory light and shadow, but were condensed into reality, as hot as magma, intertwining and swirling together, instantly forming a burning, boiling... spear purgatory within a thirty-foot radius around Liang Jin!
"boom!!!!!"

The massive jaws of the sandstorm wolf bit down hard into this crimson inferno!
There was no violent explosion as expected, only a tooth-grinding, continuous sound of annihilation!

The enormous wolf head, formed from countless grains of quicksand and containing the life's worth of Chi Le's power, melted and collapsed at a visible speed the moment it came into contact with the hundreds of crimson spear shadows, just like ice and snow thrown into a furnace!
With each passing spear shadow, a large patch of sand and gravel was directly shattered and evaporated by the terrifying power and spear intent contained within!
For every inch the wolf's head advances, it pays the price of drastically shrinking in size!
The crimson and earthy yellow energies collided and annihilated each other wildly, stirring up chaotic energy ripples that distorted and blurred the surrounding space.

Chi Le watched helplessly as his most powerful attack, which he had unleashed with all his might, dissolved so powerlessly in the crimson shadow of the spear. His wolf-like, ferocious face was finally completely enveloped by boundless horror and despair.

"He...he really...is not at his last gasp!"

"How is this possible! The golden soul jade... it really failed to seriously injure him?"

"The mission... failed... Is our great cause about to be ruined? I... underestimated him..."

With Chile's insight, he could naturally see that defeat was inevitable.

Boundless regret and frustration instantly overwhelmed his mind.

The mission was originally full of confidence, and the person was originally someone who could be easily killed.

Unexpectedly, at this very moment, the situation has completely reversed.

Chi Le and Hun Xie Wang had already given their all and used their trump cards, but they still couldn't defeat Liang Jin.

Liang Jin's power and terror have far exceeded the level indicated by intelligence.

Even Chi Le, who always sought stability, had overestimated Liang Jin's judgment before this trip.

But the results and facts still far exceeded his overestimation!
The enormous wolf head had already melted away more than half of itself, and the remaining part was collapsing faster and faster under the relentless onslaught of the Wildfire Hundred Strike.

Chile was jolted awake from his despair.

Where there is life, there is hope!

Now that Chi Le knows that killing Liang Jin is nothing short of a pipe dream, he might as well flee, regroup his forces, and look for another opportunity.

"King Hunxiu! Run!!"

He let out a shrill roar, turned around without hesitation, and used all his remaining strength to escape. His figure transformed into a blurry wolf shadow, rushing away into the darkness far from the Dry Dragon Gorge!

Upon seeing this, King Hunxiu was so angry he almost vomited blood:

"You almost got me killed this time!"

He knew that the situation was hopeless, so he glared at Liang Jin with resentment and fled in another direction for his life!
The two fled in different directions, and both possessed top-notch lightness skills. If Liang Jin wanted to pursue them, he could only catch one of them.

However, this is merely their delusion.

"Do you want to leave now?"

Liang Jin's icy voice, like a curse that haunts and ravages the soul, rang out behind the two of them.

"Don't you think...it's too late?!"

With his voice—

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Two heavy, mountain-like figures appeared out of thin air almost simultaneously in front of Chi Le and Hun Xiu Wang as they fled!

The figure blocking Chi Le's way wore a ferocious suit of armor that covered his entire body except for his eyes, which gleamed with a scarlet light.

It was none other than the War Puppet Iron Madman!
The figure blocking Hunxiu's path was covered in red copper armor, holding a giant sword as large as a tombstone in one hand and a terrifying wheel with serrated white edges in the other.

It was Zhan Kui Huang Xingzi!
As soon as the two battle puppets appeared, without any hesitation, they immediately unleashed powerful internal energy fluctuations and unleashed their most ferocious killing moves, fearlessly attacking their target!

These two war puppets were naturally no match for Hunxiu King and Chile, even though the two were already injured.

Their mission is not to kill, but... to stop!
Even if it can only hold them off for a few breaths!
That's already a success!

At that moment, Liang Jin thrust his spear fiercely towards the wolf's head, which was now only half intact.

"Bang!!!!"

The wolf's head completely dissipated into countless fragments of sand.

With a flick of Liang Jin's giant spear, countless spear shadows shot out in all directions, bombarding the sandstorm that filled the sky.

These sandstorms were driven by internal force, and as Liang Jin's spear shadow landed on the weak points that were driving the internal force, the small sandstorm that blotted out the sky completely dissipated.

The starlight and moonlight, no longer hindered by sand and dust, bathed this pristine world.

"not good!"

King Hunxiu and Chile were both trembling with fear.

Now that Liang Jin has completely destroyed the wolf's head, he can finally free up his hands to deal with them.

really.

Liang Jin held the gun in one hand and suddenly stopped, as countless gun shadows merged into the gun body as if returning to their nest.

He raised his head, his vertical pupils burning with golden flames traversing space, firmly locking onto the two panicked figures entangled with the war puppets.

The ferocious dragon's jaws slowly parted, revealing a cruel and cold smile.

"Now, neither of you can escape!"

Upon hearing this, Chi Le and Hun Xiu Wang trembled violently, their faces turning deathly pale.

The last glimmer of hope in the depths of their eyes was completely swallowed up by boundless darkness and despair...

(End of this chapter)