Chapter 354 – Basic Mistakes, Poor Judgment

“Boom! Boom!”

Heavy footsteps approached inexorably. Yellow Bear’s group fixed their eyes in the direction from which the sounds and vibrations came.

On the horizon, at the boundary between the barren land and the forest, a massive figure with three heads and six arms was rapidly heading their way.

The colossal form was imposing, looking from afar like a dark demon mountain rising swiftly from the horizon.

Members of the Yellow Bear exploration team were momentarily stunned upon seeing the figure.

Then, someone’s eyes lit up as they blurted out, “Demon Blade! It’s the Demon Blade cooperating with us this time!”

Others recalled the figure. Previously, the individual had caused a huge commotion in the secret realm over a Phoenix Feather, drawing a significant amount of attention.

Later, it was Yang Nan and a few others who, under the pretext of helping the individual keep the Phoenix Feather, entered the forbidden land and successfully regrouped with Ding Can.

“He should still be holding the Phoenix Feather and dealing with other groups in the Misty Zone’s outer area. Why is he suddenly here?”

Someone voiced their confusion.

“Definitely because he couldn’t keep dodging and tried to join us,” another person replied dismissively. “A fifth-stage Demon Blade might have no issue dominating the outer area, but entering the core zone, even running into a single powerhouse would be troublesome for him.

I even suspect he’s currently being chased by several opponents coveting the Phoenix Feather. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be fleeing so desperately like a rabbit…”

“Should we go and assist him?”

Someone asked.

No one answered right away, but Ding Can stood up with his short spear and said solemnly, “I’ll go.”

Before Ding Can could step out of the energy shield, Yang Nan, the leader, stopped him.

“Forget it,” Yang Nan shook his head, “There’s no need to waste time on him.

Distant Star and Javier are already making moves; we need to speed things up too. Besides…”

Yang Nan glanced in the direction where the figure with three heads and six arms was approaching and said calmly, “With fifth-stage combat power, even if we support him, it won’t significantly help our progress. We might even have to divert some of our attention to take care of him.

Let him act alone. If he can harass the other two groups, all the better. The purpose of Hidden Star is exactly this; the demon blade was made for situations like this…”

Ding Can remained silent for a while and eventually did not move forward.

Yang Nan felt the disturbance from afar. After the appearance of the figure with three heads and six arms, both Distant Star and Javier seemed even more eager to break through the forbidden light wall.

It appeared they no longer cared about exhausting their combat power and started an intense assault on the forbidden light wall.

They seemed ready to break through at any moment.

Though he didn’t know the exact reason for their frantic behavior, Yang Nan’s intuition told him that if they didn’t act quickly, the opportunity that seemed to be a Phoenix Egg at the center of this forbidden land would completely slip away from them.

“Prepare to assist me in breaking through the barrier with all our might!”

Yang Nan’s eyes gleamed as he focused on the golden-red forbidden light wall in front of him, and he spoke calmly to Ding Can.

Ding Can nodded in silence and began to quickly gather his strength.

Soon, they were both ready.

Brilliant spear light and blade light lit up once more. Powerful energy surged over the area, and both men began to unleash their full strength. The immense pressure even drove the Ancient Evil Deity creatures in the magma river into hiding, making them let out low, uneasy growls from beneath the molten waves.

“Boom! Boom!”

With each successive powerful strike, the golden-red forbidden light wall shook and trembled.

The mysterious patterns in the void, resembling tree roots or spider webs, shattered in large chunks. Their attacks breached the restrictions layer by layer, and it seemed they were just a hair’s breadth away from breaking through the barrier completely.

“One more time!”

Yang Nan stood in the void, his sky level armed mecha fully activated.

It looked like a steel-clad Golden Bear, enveloping his entire body.

The terrifying energy pressure, mixed with the might he unleashed, created visible energy ripples in the void, resembling a turbulent water surface.

Nearly twenty brilliant star points orbited around him, forming a vast and mysterious array. It drew cosmic energy from beyond the secret realm, continually amplifying his momentum ever higher…

At this moment, Yang Nan unveiled his full combat power of the seventh stage.

Even Ding Can, when pushing his strength to the limits, appeared dim and insignificant before Yang Nan, like a star beside a bright full moon.

“Origin Blade Technique: Seven Forms!”

Yang Nan’s calm voice echoed through the cold exterior of his armored helmet within the small energy shield.

He slowly raised his right hand, which held the blade. The overwhelming, terrifying Strength surged into his right hand like mercury, enveloping it with invisible force. Nearly twenty brilliant star points circled the blade, forming an incomplete star diagram pattern.

“Buzz-Buzz-Buzz-“

The peak of accumulated power caused a continuous, muffled vibration in the void.

It was beyond imagination what kind of world-shattering scene would occur when this blade descended.

Simultaneously, from two distant directions flanking their position, similar dreadful energy fluctuations emerged.

Yang Nan raised his head slightly, vaguely seeing two equally powerful figures preparing an unprecedented strike.

In a rare coincidence, the peak combat power of the three groups, each with comparable Strength, had reached a level where they were confident to completely break through the forbidden barrier in a single attempt.

“Let’s see who can do it first…”

Yang Nan’s eyes sparkled as he focused his mind, preparing to unleash the slash in his hand.

However, at that very moment…

“Boom… Boom… Boom!”

A series of loud and heavy footsteps approached rapidly, abruptly ringing in his ears.

“Hmm?!”

Yang Nan instinctively turned his head. Below him, members of the Yellow Bear exploration team, who had been nervously holding their breath in anticipation, also turned to look in the direction of the sound.

What they saw left them all deeply shocked.

A colossal figure with three heads and six arms, resembling a small mountain, had somehow made its way here.

The figure moved at astonishing speed, each of its large feet stomping down heavily, creating giant pits in the solid ground with every step.

Masses of magma surged up from below, but the figure didn’t seem to notice. The Ancient Evil Deity creatures residing in the magma river were affected and leapt out ferociously, only to be crushed into pulp under its feet before they could even surface properly.

Along its path, the golden-red mist, filled with forbidden power, was shattered and dispersed by its formidable physique, producing a series of explosive sounds, but it didn’t slow the figure’s pace at all.

“Isn’t this guy supposed to be fifth-stage? How is he so strong?!” someone in the team exclaimed in a low voice.

Yang Nan’s eyes also showed a hint of surprise, but before he could think further…

Suddenly…

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

In the distance, the peak forces of the Distant Star Federation and Javier both erupted simultaneously.

Instead of targeting the forbidden light wall in front of them, their blasts were directed at the rapidly approaching, imposing figure with three heads and six arms.

“Perfect opportunity!”

Yang Nan’s eyes gleamed sharply, and he quickly activated his blade technique.

This was an unexpected stroke of luck.

Who would have thought that this sudden appearance of the demon blade could unexpectedly draw the attention of the seventh-stage powerhouses from Distant Star Federation and Javier?

They miscalculated, letting the commotion caused by the demon blade deceive them and misjudging the blade’s Strength.

“What a basic error, and such poor judgment… It looks like this time, the treasure and fate belong to me, Yang Nan, and to Xia State!”

Yang Nan’s eyes sparkled, and he prepared to slash through the obstacle before him completely.

However, just as he was about to strike…

“Boom!”

A never-before-seen, terrifying aura erupted next to him like a volcanic explosion.

The immense and overwhelming force instinctively startled Yang Nan, causing his right hand to tremble slightly, disrupting the perfect blade stance.

“Boom!”

The blade light slashed forward, plowing through the dense golden-red mist. However, due to that slight disruption when Yang Nan struck, the blade energy dissipated just short of breaking through the forbidden light wall, less than half a meter away. All his efforts went to waste.

“Damn it!”

Yang Nan’s face turned grim as he looked towards the source of the aura that had disturbed his strike.

In an instant, he was struck dumb with disbelief.

–

A terrifying figure with three heads and six arms, enveloped in blood-red electric arcs, stood in the center of the battlefield.

Its six arms were raised high, as two blood suns slowly rose, effortlessly smashing the seventh-stage energy offensive from the Distant Star Federation and Javier.

Then, it fiercely punched towards the forbidden light wall.

“Boom!”

The six blood suns merged into one.

“Boom!”

A massive and distorted shockwave emanated from the enormous blood sun, resembling an enraged dragon. It melted and evaporated the dense golden-red forbidden light mist in its path, carving a clear passage.

The blood-red electric arcs surrounding the three-headed, six-armed figure flickered as it charged through the path.

Large swathes of golden-red mist rolled and surged behind it. Within a few breaths, the shattered light wall reformed, and the massive, terrifying figure vanished.

Yang Nan stood silently in midair, battle blade in hand.

His armored face mask silently opened, revealing his dazed and astonished handsome face.

Down below, the Yellow Bear exploration team members wore similarly stunned expressions, their faces reflecting a sense of disbelief.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

From afar, the sounds of breaking barriers echoed loudly.

Yang Nan instinctively looked up.

In that moment, he suddenly understood-

Why did the Distant Star Federation and Javier’s people suddenly speed up and alter their attack direction without hesitation?

They… were all dreading…

Dreading that so-called “fifth-stage” demon blade that had been cooperating with them all along!

“But…

We didn’t know his true combat power. How did the Distant Star Federation find out?

Did that guy do something earth-shattering outside?”

Yang Nan muttered to himself, unable to snap out of his daze for quite some time.

…

“Boom! Boom!”

Lu Yuan sprinted wildly across the ground.

The cuckoo bird nestled in the crook of his neck, chirping incessantly with eagerness and anticipation.

“Keep it up! Keep it up and I’ll make you fly on your own!”

Lu Yuan cursed under his breath, causing the cuckoo bird to immediately fall silent.

Only then did Lu Yuan’s expression soften slightly.

All along the way, the cuckoo bird had been incessantly urging him to hurry, its incessant chirping nearly driving him mad.