Chapter 138: The Power of Heaven and Earth

At the very moment when the divine sacrificial ceremony of the Xuanyuan family caused a drastic meteorological shift, Nanke, who was inside the Enforcement Hall on Mount Kunlun, felt a sudden ripple of sensation. Such a phenomenon could not help but send a jolt of shock through his heart. After locating Jiang Chao, Nanke spared no expense in spiritual stones to set up a teleportation array, through which their group had rushed to this place.

"Is that the site of the Xuanyuan family's divine sacrifice ahead?"

Nanke gazed at the shifting phenomena before him with a solemn expression, his tone deep as he inquired.

"Reporting to the Protector, it is indeed!" Mengchao did not dare to be negligent and replied hastily.

"What on earth is going on with this Xuanyuan family's divine sacrifice? To think it would produce such violent meteorological disturbances, not to mention that oppressive aura continuously gathering in the void—something like this has never happened before."

Sensing the surging waves of power washing over them from ahead, Jiang Chao also spoke with a tightly furrowed brow.

"Let's put that aside for now. This is my first time visiting the Xuanyuan family, and I am quite interested in this ceremony of divine sacrifice. Since we are already here, let's go and take a look."

With those words, Nanke's figure instantly vanished from the spot. The very moment Nanke disappeared, Jiang Chao also led the remaining few members flying toward the ritual grounds.

To their absolute astonishment, the moment they left, an aged figure slowly materialized in the empty space where they had previously stood. The newcomer was none other than Xuanyuan Qingshan, the guardian of the Xuanyuan family's mountains and an ancient monster of a cultivator.

Xuanyuan Qingshan furrowed his brows deeply as he stared in the direction where the Enforcement Hall members had vanished. A grave look surfaced on his face, and he muttered to himself, "Has not the existence of immortals been forbidden in this world? Why, then, did I sense such a rich aura of the immortals emanating from that Enforcement Hall protector?"

Filled with suspicion, Xuanyuan Qingshan gradually faded away until his figure completely dissolved into the void.

Meanwhile, at the site of the divine sacrifice.

The golden light condensing in the firmament grew increasingly dense. Howling gales continued to rage, while roars of thunder and flashes of lightning endlessly pierced the sky. Fortunately, those present were formidable martial artists with a certain level of understanding regarding such natural phenomena; had it been ordinary mortals, they would have long since been scared out of their wits.

Just at that moment, the dense golden radiance gathered in the void suddenly transformed into a golden dragon. After circling in the sky for a moment, it plunged downward toward the altar with destructive momentum, landing with pinpoint accuracy directly above Xuanyuan Jian's head before vanishing from everyone's sight.

Struck by the golden dragon, Xuanyuan Jian's entire body erupted with dazzling golden light, and he involuntarily levitated into the air. Bathed in the baptism of the golden radiance, he exuded an aura of profound sanctity.

At that very instant, the Xuanyuan Sword resting within the hands of the statue began to vibrate violently. Seeing this, Xuanyuan Huangdao finally let out the breath he had been holding. Even the dozen or so elders of the Xuanyuan family standing around wore satisfied smiles as they looked at the sword hovering in the air.

The Xuanyuan Sword was the ultimate symbol of the Xuanyuan family; only those recognized by this divine sword were qualified to lead the family and become its patriarch. In their eyes, Xuanyuan Jian was the undisputed heir of this generation of the Xuanyuan family. Yet, in the past few sacrificial ceremonies, Xuanyuan Jian had repeatedly failed to win the recognition of the divine sword, which had filled them all with deep regret.

Today, however, Xuanyuan Jian had finally relied on his own abilities to earn the acknowledgment of the Xuanyuan family's ancestors. That golden dragon was the blessing bestowed by the ancestors, and the divine sword had formally accepted him. Xuanyuan Jian was already a Xiantian Martial King at such a tender age; in the long years to come, there was no doubt he would grow to surpass them all, leading the Xuanyuan family toward an even more prosperous and formidable future.

High in the sky, the divine sword that had been darting and circling around Xuanyuan Jian emitted a sound like silver chimes. Enveloped by the golden light, the divine sword descended and slipped smoothly into Xuanyuan Jian's grasp.

With the divine sword in hand, Xuanyuan Jian's body trembled violently, and a powerful shockwave radiated outward from him as the center. This formidable force instantly blew back the visiting guests who had come to witness the ceremony. Fortunately, these people were all experts, so they sustained no major injuries.

Across the entire plaza below, aside from the members of the Xuanyuan family who still stood quietly in place, only Xiao Yu, Gu Jian, and the handsome young man remained motionless. As for the rest, fearing accidental injury, they had long since retreated far into the distance to watch.

"Ah, now that Brother Xuanyuan has obtained the recognition of the divine sword, his combat prowess has probably increased by more than just a little. In the next Dragon Ranking tournament, I suppose only Wuxin, the top-ranked martial artist on the Dragon Ranking, will be a match for him," Gu Jian sighed, speaking slowly.

Hearing this, the handsome young man nodded noncommittally.

Just as Gu Jian turned around as if intending to speak to Xiao Yu, he seemed to sense something. His expression underwent a drastic change, and he shouted loudly, "Scatter, quickly!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Jian's figure had already materialized a hundred meters away. Though the handsome young man did not know why Gu Jian had issued such a warning, he followed suit instantly, flashing far into the distance.

Now, within the vast plaza, only Xiao Yu remained standing alone, his gaze fixed intently on Xuanyuan Jian in the sky.

Boom!

A series of violent explosions erupted at that very moment. A chain reaction of explosions broke out all around the altar as the center, and under the resulting shockwaves, the entire ritual platform began to sway precariously.

Seeing this, Xuanyuan Huangdao's expression finally turned grave. He immediately roared at the elders surrounding him, "Elders, please join forces with me to protect the altar!"

Hearing this, the dozen-odd elders did not hesitate for a second. Their bodies shook with formidable vigor, and overwhelming auras instantly flooded the entire plaza. A visible barrier of light quietly manifested, enveloping the entire altar and stabilizing the structure that had been on the verge of collapse.

Seeing the altar secured, Xuanyuan Huangdao let out a heavy sigh of relief. Then, sweeping his gaze across the plaza, he was astonished to find that Xiao Yu was still standing there unbothered, refusing to take cover. He immediately shouted, "Kid, are you still watching the fun? That power is the very force of heaven and earth—you cannot withstand it! Get out of here right now!"

Xiao Yu turned a deaf ear to Xuanyuan Huangdao's warnings. The force of heaven and earth? It seemed to him that the power of the sun, moon, and stars also belonged to the forces of heaven and earth. Moreover, the energy currently permeating the plaza caused him no discomfort whatsoever; on the contrary, he found it remarkably comfortable.

Perhaps Xiao Yu could never have imagined that the moment this power manifested, the power of the sun, moon, and stars within his body would begin to circulate of its own accord. Even more shockingly, the celestial energy inside him was actively absorbing this golden energy of heaven and earth.

Not only was this beyond Xiao Yu's imagination, but probably not a single person present could have foreseen it. Yet, this occurrence could not possibly be hidden from one particular individual lingering in the void—the Enforcement Hall protector who had just arrived: Nanke!