Chapter 178: The World Trembles (Fifth Update)

Silence.

Deathly silence.

On the Heavenly Divination Platform, countless cultivators stood frozen, their eyes vacant, staring blankly at the scene before them.

At this moment, even the sound of breathing seemed to cease.

Dead…

Dead…

All dead…

Of the nine powerhouses on the Celestial Ranking, eight had fallen in an instant—only one remained, and that was solely because they had fled fast enough.

First on the Eternal Prodigy Leaderboard!

This was the true might of the first-ranked prodigy on the Eternal Prodigy Leaderboard!

The minds of the countless cultivators were so shocked that they nearly stopped functioning.

In the Heavenly Divination Pavilion, the pavilion master’s hand trembled violently as he controlled the Heavenly Divination Mirror, causing the image within to flicker and blur, nearly cutting off entirely.

The Heavenly Divination Pavilion existed across countless realms and had witnessed countless prodigies and powerhouses throughout the ages.

Yet, never before had anyone brought about such overwhelming shock.

Too strong!

Too terrifying!

Too monstrous in his methods!

The secret technique that allowed him to surge from the first to the ninth level of the Earth Immortal realm in one breath.

The blazing, unyielding sword energy.

The forbidden technique that allowed him to forcibly detonate his power a second time.

The step that conjured three identical combat clones.

The indescribable, earth-shattering punch.

"Pass down my order—all spirit stones earned from the use of the Heavenly Divination Mirror, no, all spirit stones obtained from any news regarding Lu Ye, shall be doubled and prepared. Once this battle concludes, I will personally deliver them to him!" declared Li Baizhi, the master of the Heavenly Divination Pavilion, in a booming voice.

Unprovokable. Absolutely unprovokable.

Do not even entertain the thought of provoking this man.

This man was a devil, a monster, an abomination…

The entire Second Heaven seemed to have been struck by a pause at this moment.

All who witnessed Lu Ye’s battle were plunged into profound shock.

And deep, unshakable fear.

As for the Wang Family—they erupted into chaos in an instant.

Wang Canghai has fallen.

This is a massive loss for the Wang family.

Moreover, judging by Lu Ye's words, he doesn’t just intend to slaughter his way to the Jiang family—after annihilating them, he plans to settle all scores.

This man is simply insane.

What does it mean for him to openly declare his intent for retribution?

It’s a complete push toward annihilation, leaving not the slightest chance of survival.

What do we do? What do we do?

We must seek aid from above—urgently!

"It’s all the Jiang family’s fault!"

The leader of the Eternal Sect was nearly driven mad with rage, shattering the entire hall in his fury.

"We had already coexisted peacefully with Lu Ye back in the First Heaven, yet the Jiang family lured us into targeting him again!"

"And the result?"

"And the result?"

"The Eternal Sect in the First Heaven was wiped out!"

"Now that he’s ascended to the Second Heaven, they’ve pushed us to oppose Lu Ye again."

"Who is he? The number one on the Eternal Prodigy Leaderboard!"

"Surpassing even the young Emperors, Celestial Lords, and even Sages—how could our Eternal Sect possibly provoke such a monster?"

"Damn it, Jiang Die! I’m furious! How could there be a woman as foolish, ignorant, and venomous as Jiang Die in this world?"

"She’s dragging the entire Second Heaven down with her!"

"Seek aid! We must seek aid from above! The survival or destruction of the Eternal Sect in the Second Heaven is at stake!"

"Hurry, send for reinforcements!"

Similar reactions spread across all factions.

The Jiang family was thrown into utter chaos.

Jiang Die, oh Jiang Die, what kind of enemy have you brought upon the Jiang family?

It’s terrifying—who in the entire Second Heaven can possibly stop this monstrous man now?

Jiang Die’s face turned pale.

It was too horrifying.

She knew Lu Ye possessed countless extraordinary methods, but his cultivation level was still limited. No matter how many heaven-defying techniques he had, how much could he truly unleash?

Yet, what he unleashed far exceeded her wildest expectations.

"Don’t panic! It’s not over yet—I still have a way!"

Jiang Die let out a loud shout.

...

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed from Lu Ye's lips. His expression remained cold and stern, yet a faint trace of exhaustion flickered between his brows.

The power he had unleashed moments ago was indeed formidable, but it had also placed an immense burden on him.

No matter.

Lu Ye withdrew his soul and retrieved the storage ring.

With a single step forward, he continued his march toward the Jiang family.

Eighty-three thousand kilometers.

The journey ahead should be somewhat smoother now.

The Human Emperor Banner's black mist had thickened to its extreme, and all eight primary souls had been secured.

It had begun yet another upgrade.

This artifact was peculiar—as long as it absorbed enough souls, it could keep evolving endlessly, without even needing changes to the banner's material.

Unbeknownst to all, dark clouds had gathered above Lu Ye's head.

His aura grew increasingly terrifying.

With every step, he nurtured his momentum. With every life taken, he fed his dominance.

One step, one kilometer.

Eighty-three thousand steps.

Hundreds of thousands of lives.

Countless powerful figures.

All had become part of Lu Ye's overwhelming presence, manifesting as the roiling black clouds that loomed above him like a demon god descending upon the mortal realm.

The Human Emperor Banner weaved through the dark clouds, its countless souls flickering ominously within.

At last, no one dared to obstruct Lu Ye's path any longer.

Wherever he passed:

If it was a sect, the sect fled.

If it was a city, the city emptied.

Even if it was a mere town, its inhabitants scattered far into the distance.

They gazed up at the churning black clouds, at the ghastly faces of souls writhing within.

Trembling in terror.

The dark clouds grew even more massive.

Step by step by step.

Finally, Lu Ye's figure arrived at the Jiang Family's city.

Behind the Jiang Family's city lay the true stronghold of the Jiang Family.

Upon the city walls.

Rows of people stood, holding great blades.

Beneath those blades, figures were sealed and bound upon execution platforms.

The blades could fall at any moment.

Lu Ye recognized every figure on those execution platforms.

They were all his friends, his sect brothers, his comrades from his past life.

"Lu Ye!"

A loud shout.

Not from Jiang Die, but from a powerful figure of the Jiang Family—Jiang Tailing, ranked ninth on the Celestial Ranking.

Lu Ye's footsteps halted.

"You recognize these people, don't you?" Jiang Tailing bellowed.

The sealed figures stared at Lu Ye, inwardly cursing in frustration.

Recognize? Bullshit!

Who the hell had ever seen this guy before?

They were just plain unlucky.

"Retreat immediately, disperse your aura, or all these people will die!"

Jiang Tailing roared.

The dark clouds enveloped the entire city.

The heavens and earth turned pitch black.

Lu Ye calmly observed the scene.

Retreat?

At this point, was there even such a thing as retreat?

Lu Ye gave no reply and took another step forward.

"Ahhh!!!"

At that very moment, all the souls within the dark clouds let out a deafening, sky-rending scream.

The sound was so immense that even the void twisted in its wake.

The entire city crumbled amidst the screams of souls.

Four Lu Ye moved simultaneously.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

Countless heads rolled and fell.

The Human Emperor Banner, transformed into a supreme innate treasure, unleashed its full power at this moment.

Wraiths filled the entire city.

Massacre!