Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

This officer was clearly a high-ranking member of this elite force, yet he had been given such a powerful weapon! He roared and poured all the remaining Buddhist power in his body into the Thunderbolt without reservation, then hurled it with all his might at the dwarf old man not far ahead!

After the purplish-black sphere left his hand, it instantly transformed into a dazzling purple streak of light, moving at an astonishing speed, heading straight for the dwarf old man's face!

"Be careful!!"

"It's a supreme treasure of thunder magic!!"

"Get out of the way!!"

The schoolteacher, the cleaning lady, the farmer, the cook, and the dozen or so elderly people who had just made their move, who had rushed from all over the city, all paled upon seeing this and exclaimed in shock! They could clearly feel the terrifying energy contained within the thunderbolt—a one-time-use weapon powerful enough to threaten even a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage, and even severely injure an ordinary immortal! This dwarf old man, though mysterious, was unlikely to withstand such a treasure head-on…

However, before their exclamations could even subside, something unexpected had already happened!
"Boom—!!!"

When the purplish-black lightning bolt came into contact with the dwarf old man at a distance of about a foot, it seemed to trigger something and suddenly exploded!

Contrary to expectations, the shockwave did not spread outwards. Instead, all the destructive energy seemed to be confined and compressed within a spherical area centered on the old man, with a diameter of only a few meters, before it exploded with a roar!

In an instant, it seemed as if a purple sun had risen there! Blinding lightning, like billions of swirling venomous snakes, completely engulfed that space! Terrifying thunderous power was unleashed wantonly, emitting deafening explosions that seemed to tear the soul apart! Its might was somewhat similar to the heavenly tribulation punishment that cultivators endure when undergoing tribulation!
The blinding flash of lightning caused everyone watching from afar to instinctively close their eyes or look away, their hearts filled with horror—such concentrated burst of power would likely leave even a seasoned demon who had cultivated his body for a lifetime struggling to withstand it head-on, and this dwarf old man was probably in grave danger!

The defeated Indian soldiers wore expressions of mixed joy and anticipation, as if they could already see this terrifying obstacle being blown to smithereens.

The lightning raged for a full three breaths before slowly beginning to dissipate.

All eyes were fixed on the center of the lightning eruption.

The smoke and the lingering electric arcs slowly dissipated.

A short, charred, and hunched figure stood there quietly, as if it had never moved an inch.

It was that dwarf old man!

Not only did he not perish as everyone had expected, but even his tattered clothes remained unburnt! He simply stood there, head slightly bowed, as if sensing something.

What's even more chilling is that the old, gruesome wounds on his body, which were already grotesque and torn, now seem to have come alive! Within the cracks of the wounds, tiny purple electric sparks, of the same origin as the explosion, are flowing, leaping, and flashing, as if the power of the lightning had not only failed to harm him in the slightest, but had instead been absorbed and devoured by the wounds on his body!

These stray bolts of lightning, like living runes, slowly spread and intertwined along the direction of his wounds, adding even more eeriness and mystery to his already ghostly body.

The old man slowly raised his head, his brows furrowing slightly on his charred and withered face, as if he were savoring something that didn't quite satisfy him.

He muttered to himself in a hoarse, dry voice.

"Tsk, interesting... It draws a trace of the aura of the Thunder General under the command of the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder in the Nine Heavens, mixed with the Buddhist intent of Nirvana, to simulate the 'Minor Purple Cloud Divine Thunder'? Hmm... It has a tiny bit of the flavor of a heavenly tribulation, but unfortunately... It's mixed and impure, merely having the form but not the spirit. The timing is far, far off... It's not even enough to tickle this old man's itch."

His tone was flat, even carrying a hint of disdain and disappointment, as if he were tasting inferior wine, as if the terrifying explosion that had just killed a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage was merely a slightly distinctive breeze.

quiet!
Deathly silence!

Whether it was the defeated Indian soldiers charging at the front or the powerful Tang Dynasty figures like the schoolteacher arriving from the rear, they were all frozen in place as if under a spell, dumbfounded, their minds blank!
It withstood the "Purple Heaven Demon-Slaying Thunderbolt," a strike powerful enough to kill a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage, without sustaining a scratch? It even complained that the power wasn't pure enough? And absorbed the explosive lightning energy?! What... what kind of being is this?!

Finally, among the routed Indian soldiers, an extremely old monk, who seemed to have read many ancient secrets and had been hiding at the back of the ranks, trembled as he raised his finger and pointed at the dwarf old man. The wrinkles on his face were squeezed together by extreme fear, and his voice was hoarse and shrill, as if he had used all the strength of his life to shout out a name that had been buried in the dust of history and was almost regarded as a myth.

"Hua...Huaxia Daoist?! You are...the number one cultivation prodigy recognized in the Southern Continent five thousand years ago, the one who attracted the Nine Heavenly Tribulations at the age of thirteen...the one favored by the Heavenly Dao, Huaxia Daoist?!"

The four words "Huaxia Daoren" were like four bolts of divine thunder from the heavens, striking the hearts of every defeated Indian soldier who heard them!

Scattered accounts and terrifying tales about this legend flooded their minds like a tidal wave.

Five thousand years ago, the human race of the Southern Continent experienced a surge of fortune, giving birth to an unparalleled genius in cultivation. Born with spiritual insight, he began to cultivate at the age of three, established his foundation at seven, and reached the pinnacle of mortal cultivation at thirteen, attracting a terrifying heavenly tribulation! His extraordinary talent was said to have even caught the attention of the Heavenly Dao, and the tribulation lightning he unleashed far surpassed that of his peers. He was hailed as "the one favored by the Heavenly Dao" and regarded as "the dragon of China"!
However, just when everyone thought he would successfully transcend the tribulation and ascend to immortality, achieving great things in the path of immortality, he made a decision that shocked the three realms—in order to protect the nascent Chinese race, which was surrounded by powerful enemies, he forcibly interrupted his ascension process with unparalleled perseverance and supernatural powers, severing his own path to immortality and suppressing his cultivation at the critical point between the mortal and immortal paths! And he made a grand vow.

I swear I will not become an immortal until the Chinese nation prospers!
From then on, this genius embarked on an unprecedented "alternative" path of spiritual practice.

He no longer pursued ascension, but instead constantly and proactively triggered heavenly tribulations! Not to transcend tribulations and become an immortal, but to use the power of heavenly tribulations to temper himself, hone his soul, and comprehend the true meaning of the coexistence of killing and life in the Heavenly Dao! At the same time, he also used this extreme method to deter powerful enemies from all sides, buying time for the human race to breathe and develop.

Over the past five thousand years, how many heavenly tribulations has he triggered? No one knows the exact number. But there are rumors that it has been at least ninety-nine times! Each time, it was a near-death experience, a cruel torment and baptism for both body and soul!

His body covered in charred, withered, and mangled scars that seemed to never heal were his unique "medals" left by countless heavenly tribulations! They were also a symbol of his control over a portion of the heavenly tribulation's lightning power!

He was proficient in countless supernatural powers, capable of moving mountains and filling seas, summoning wind and rain—almost omnipotent. Throughout history, the Chinese people faced the threat of extinction several times. When powerful enemies invaded and countless lives were lost, a charred and thin figure would always appear like a pillar of strength, either using boundless magic to move mountains and fill seas to stop the enemy, or using overwhelming divine might to summon lightning to repel the troops, single-handedly carving out a glimmer of hope for the Chinese people!
He is a living legend, a walking epic, and a guardian totem engraved in the deepest part of the Chinese bloodline!
However, over the past thousand years, as China has gradually become stronger and external threats have lessened, this legendary figure has gradually faded from the world's sight. There are even rumors that he has already perished completely in a heavenly tribulation, or that he has finally achieved his goal and quietly ascended to heaven.

Who would have thought that he had been silently existing in this Southern Continent, in this snow-covered city on the border of the Tang Dynasty, in such an inconspicuous, even ugly and terrifying, appearance!

"Whoosh—!"

The moment they understood all this, the last vestige of resistance in the hearts of those tens of thousands of defeated Indian soldiers was extinguished completely, like a candle flickering in the wind!

When faced with other old monsters, they might have excuses like "the other party is using unorthodox methods" or "their methods are strange" to comfort themselves. But when faced with this living myth who has protected China countless times over the past five thousand years and withstood heavenly tribulations, what they feel is a deep-seated awe and despair for the "guardian" and the "majesty of heaven"!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Like wheat felled by an invisible scythe, tens of thousands of routed soldiers, regardless of rank or strength, were all pale-faced, their legs weak, unable to support themselves any longer, and they all knelt down in unison! A sea of ​​black heads lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, not even daring to look at the dwarf old man. "Spare us! Huaxia Daoist Master, spare us!"

"We surrender! We're willing to negotiate! We'll pay any price!"

"We only beg the Daoist Master to spare our lives! We will immediately retreat to India and never again offend Tang!"

"Or...or just give us a quick death! We choose death! Just please don't torture us!"

Some even broke down crying out, begging for a quick death to avoid those unimaginable horrors.

Cries of pleas, sobs, and pleas for mercy rose and fell. The army, which had been so aggressive and determined to break through the encirclement, had now become lambs to the slaughter.

Behind them, the entire group from the Tang Dynasty, led by the schoolteacher, including the dozen or so long-established old monsters and the newly promoted "Golden Core Neighbors" like the sweeping lady and the farmer, all restrained their auras, their faces solemn, and bowed deeply to the charred and thin figure in front of them with utmost respect from the bottom of their hearts!
This is a tribute to the legend, gratitude to the guardian, and the highest salute to this pioneer who has borne the burden of five thousand years of heavenly tribulations for China and is covered in scars!
The Taoist priest seemed oblivious to the bowing behind him. His gaze, like two bottomless ancient wells, seemed to contain endless thunder and the vicissitudes of time, slowly swept over the dark mass of Indian soldiers kneeling and weeping below.

At this moment, his eyes were no longer clouded and confused, but became incredibly clear and sharp, like a dormant dragon slowly opening its eyes to look down upon the world.

His eyes reflected not a specific person, but the land he had protected for five thousand years, and the word "Huaxia" flowing in his blood.

He spoke, his voice no longer dry and hoarse, but deep, majestic, and resounding, like an ancient bell tolling between heaven and earth, each word seemingly carrying the weight of thunder and the echo of time.

"negotiation?"

His lips seemed to twitch slightly, as if he were smiling, but there was no warmth in them.

"Negotiation requires resources. And you..."

His gaze swept over the fleeing soldiers again, his tone calm, yet carrying an undeniable verdict.

"……No."

These two words, like a final death knell, shattered the last shred of hope of the defeated Indian soldiers.

"Roar—!! Fight them! Fire arrows! Fire arrows!!"

In dire straits, there are always those who go completely mad. Among the kneeling crowd, some of the fiercest officers and soldiers were driven to a frenzy of mutual destruction by this hopeless verdict.

They roared and struggled to their feet, some kneeling while frantically pulling back the remaining crossbows in their hands, others gathering their last Buddhist power, which transformed into streaks of golden light and poured down upon the Chinese Taoist in the air and the Tang Dynasty people behind him! They wanted to destroy everything!

Faced with this scattered yet desperate counterattack, the Huaxia Taoist's face remained completely calm.

He simply hovered in the air, gently waving his hand at the tens of thousands of fleeing soldiers below, who were in chaos and trying to make a final stand.

It's neither an attack nor a defense; it's like brushing away a speck of dust from a table.

"open."

A simple word came out of his mouth.

"Boom—!!!"

The next moment, a scene that everyone will never forget unfolded!

Centered on the void below where the Huaxia Taoist stood, the vast land within a radius of dozens of miles, like a sleeping behemoth awakened, emitted a muffled and terrifying roar! The solid frozen soil, rocks, and even the ruins left from the previous battle were as if they were being violently torn apart by an invisible giant hand!

A massive, unfathomably deep, jagged crack, hundreds of feet wide and with jagged, interlocking edges, suddenly and violently split open! The crack was so deep that darkness filled the view, seemingly leading straight to the deepest abyss! Its length was also unfathomable, encompassing the entire rear of the battlefield and a large area of ​​Snowstorm City near the city walls!

The enormous crack was like the earth opening its bloody maw, emanating an immense suction force and the aura of death!

"what--!!!"

"No--!!"

"Help me—!!"

Those who were attacking frantically, those who were kneeling and begging for mercy, those who were scattering and fleeing... all the Indian soldiers who were trapped within the crack, no matter what they had been doing before, all let out extremely shrill screams at this moment!
They felt their feet suddenly give way to an unbearable weightlessness, and they were helplessly falling into the bottomless dark abyss like dumplings being dropped into a pot!

More than 200,000 troops, before the immense power of heaven and earth, were as insignificant as ants swept away by a flood, or grains of rice scattered into a giant pot, disappearing into the endless darkness without even making a ripple! Only the chilling, ocean-like cries of despair surged forth from the abyss, echoing between heaven and earth, lingering for a long time!
Immediately afterwards, the Taoist priest waved his hand gently again.

"combine."

Again, just one simple word. (End of Chapter)