HCB Chapter 407 New Dao Essence
Chapter 407 New Dao Essence
The market was bustling with people and incredibly noisy. All sorts of hawking cries filled the air, rising and falling like a vibrant symphony; while the sounds of buyers and sellers haggling fiercely were like the dancing notes in the music, together weaving together a lively and vibrant scene of everyday life.
Xu Nian slowly stepped into the bustling market. He appeared calm and composed, but the instant he entered, an incredibly powerful divine sense surged forth like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping the entire market. This divine sense was so strong that it seemed capable of discerning every subtle movement and hidden secret within the market.
As Xu Nian expanded his divine sense, the fluctuations of the seventh layer of Dao essence became increasingly clear, like a beacon in the darkness, guiding his way forward. Finally, Xu Nian's gaze locked onto something not far ahead, a slight smile playing on his lips as he murmured to himself, "Found it."
However, at that very moment, in a secluded corner of the market, the atmosphere was unusually tense. Yin Sha, the fifth protector of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, was leading a group of disciples who were quietly lying in ambush there. They were all tense and on high alert.
Yin Sha lowered his voice and shouted to the crowd, "Everyone, pay close attention! Today, that brat Xu Nian will definitely die here!"
Upon hearing the protector's order, one disciple couldn't help but feel uneasy and asked in a low voice, "Protector, are we... really confident that we can kill him? After all, two experts have already fallen at his hands."
Upon hearing this, Yin Sha's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He snorted coldly and said, "Hmph! Those two pieces of trash dare to call themselves experts? They can't even handle a brat. They've utterly disgraced our Ten Thousand Demons Sect! Today, no matter what, I will make Xu Nian bleed five steps away to avenge this humiliation!"
After saying that, Yin Sha glared fiercely at the disciple who had asked the question, which frightened the latter into quickly bowing his head and replying, "Yes!" Seeing this, the other disciples also responded in unison, indicating that they were willing to follow the protector's command.
Meanwhile, Xu Nian strolled leisurely through the market. He appeared relaxed and nonchalant, but in reality, every step he took was carefully calculated and considered. He was completely focused on tracking the fluctuations of the Dao essence, moving closer and closer to his target.
Finally, after a long and arduous search, at the end of a quaint, slightly worn street, an old shop exuding the vicissitudes of time came into view. Xu Nian slowly stopped his hurried steps, and his previously tired eyes instantly brightened, as if burning with two blazing flames.
"This should be it," Xu Nian murmured to herself, her gaze fixed intently on the interior of the mysterious shop. Inside, the shop was filled with all sorts of dazzling treasures, some shimmering with strange light, others emitting alluring fragrances—a truly overwhelming array that left one breathless.
A faint, emanating Daoist energy was quietly emanating from the depths of the shop. Xu Nian took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then strode confidently into the shop, a place shrouded in mystery and unknown charm.
"Sir, what would you like to buy?" Upon seeing this, a kind-faced, smiling old man quickly came forward and greeted him warmly.
Xu Nian simply replied, "I'll just take a look around." After saying that, he began to quickly scan the items displayed in the shop with his sharp eyes, but after looking for a while, he still couldn't detect anything unusual.
"Strange, I can clearly feel the aura of Daoist essence right next to me..." Xu Nian frowned slightly, pondering to himself. So, without further hesitation, he walked straight into the deeper part of the shop, taking each step with extra caution, while also carefully observing the movements around him.
However, without warning, the bright lights inside the shop suddenly dimmed. The entire space was instantly shrouded in darkness, and the atmosphere became tense and oppressive.
"Not good!" Xu Nian's heart tightened suddenly, and he cried out in alarm. In an instant, an extremely powerful and invisible force swept towards him like a surging tide, immobilizing him in place with lightning speed, making him unable to move an inch.
"Xu Nian, you've finally come! Hahahaha..." Accompanied by a sinister and terrifying laugh, a chilling voice, seemingly emanating from the deepest hell, echoed from the endless darkness. Immediately afterward, dozens of figures clad in black night clothes emerged like ghosts from all directions, instantly surrounding Xu Nian. Each of these men in black wielded a gleaming, incredibly sharp weapon, radiating a terrifying killing intent.
"Hmph, knowing it's a trap, you still dared to step into this place, utterly foolish!" Accompanied by a sinister laugh, Yin Sha's ghostly figure slowly emerged from the endless darkness. His face was twisted and terrifying, a chilling smile playing on his lips.
"You insignificant ants dare to try and trap me here? You're dreaming!" Facing such an arrogant and conceited Yin Sha, Xu Nian showed no fear, instead responding with a contemptuous sneer. In an instant, a dazzling golden light flashed, like a brilliant sun rising in the sky, and an extremely terrifying pressure swept across the entire shop with overwhelming force.
"What... what kind of incredibly powerful force is this?!" The group of men in black, who had been so aggressive, were now utterly terrified, their faces ashen, their eyes filled with deep fear. They gripped their various weapons tightly, but before this dazzling golden light, their so-called sharp weapons seemed as fragile as paper.
"Those who overestimate their abilities will ultimately meet a miserable end," Xu Nian murmured indifferently. Then, he slowly raised his right hand, and the shimmering golden light seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, rapidly converging towards his palm, instantly condensing into an enormous, radiant golden light sword.
"Slash!" As Xu Nian uttered this word softly, the huge golden light sword suddenly slashed through the void, bringing with it an astonishing aura capable of destroying the heavens and the earth, and slashed straight at the group of men in black.
"Ah!" A series of shrill screams rang out, and the men in black didn't even have time to react before collapsing to the ground like harvested wheat. In an instant, their bodies completely dissipated under the impact of this powerful force, turning into wisps of ashes that drifted into the air.
Witnessing the horrific scene before him, Yin Sha's already pale face turned even more bloodless, his eyes wide open, filled with disbelief and extreme terror. "This... how is this possible? Absolutely impossible!" he muttered to himself, his body trembling uncontrollably, clearly terrified by the astonishing strength Xu Nian had displayed.
Xu Nian's eyes were tightly closed, like a sleeping lion. Suddenly, his eyelids trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes. In an instant, two dazzling golden beams shot out from his eyes, as bright and dazzling as shooting stars streaking across the night sky.
"I told you, you insignificant ants, you think you can trap me? You're just delusional!" Xu Nian's voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any emotion, like a death proclamation from the depths of hell. Before he finished speaking, a blinding golden light flashed across his body, and in the next instant, his figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.
"Not good!" Yin Sha, who had been keeping a close eye on Xu Nian, immediately felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing this. However, it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, Xu Nian had silently appeared behind a man in black. At the same time, the dazzling golden light rapidly coalesced into an incomparably sharp golden blade, carrying an incomparably fierce aura, and slashed fiercely at the man in black with lightning speed.
With a muffled "thud," the man in black didn't even have time to scream before his body was cleaved in two by the golden blade. Crimson blood gushed out, splattering everywhere. The mangled body fell limply to the ground with a dull thud.
"Ah!" Only then did the others in black snap out of their daze, screaming in terror. But before they could see what had happened, Xu Nian's figure vanished again, mysteriously disappearing without a trace.
What followed was a brutal and one-sided massacre. Golden lights flashed and crisscrossed, accompanied by piercing screams as one after another, the men in black collapsed like harvested straw. In the blink of an eye, those once ferocious and arrogant figures lay scattered across the ground. Even more chilling was that each time a man in black fell, his body would burst into a blinding flash of fire upon contact with the ground, then quickly dissipate into wisps of black smoke.
Yin Sha stared blankly at the terrifying scene before him, his body trembling uncontrollably. His eyes widened, his face filled with utter horror, and his lips trembled as he murmured, "What... what kind of terrifying power is this?! How could it be so strong?!" At this moment, his heart was filled with nothing but endless fear and despair, and no other emotion could exist.
In the blink of an eye, in less than a short time, dozens of well-trained and powerful men in black were all killed without any chance to fight back. Inside the shop, apart from the blood and remains scattered all over the ground, only Xu Nian and Yin Sha stood facing each other.
"Who...who are you?!" Yin Sha's voice trembled, flickering like a candle in the wind. His terrified eyes were fixed on Xu Nian as he approached, filled with undisguised fear. With each step Xu Nian took forward, a dazzling golden light shone from his body. These lights intertwined, enveloping his entire being, making him appear from afar like a sacred deity descending from the heavens.
"The one who killed you." Xu Nian's words were concise and cold, his tone as icy as millennia-old ice, devoid of any emotion, as if he were merely stating an ordinary fact. However, these few words were like an incomparably sharp blade, piercing straight into Yin Sha's heart, causing him to involuntarily shiver.
"The Great Protector of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect is here! Boy, you dare to kill me?!" Seeing the situation was dire, Yin Sha hurriedly shouted at the top of his lungs. Along with his shout, a figure clad in a black robe, exuding a powerful aura, suddenly appeared inside the shop. The moment this person appeared, an invisible pressure quickly spread out, making everyone's breath catch in their throats.
"Great Protector!" Upon seeing the mysterious black-robed figure, Yin Sha was overjoyed, his previously dim eyes rekindling with hope. He knew the Great Protector of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect's power—his strength was unfathomable, making him one of the sect's top experts. With the Great Protector's support, Yin Sha was confident he could escape danger.
"You are Xu Nian?" The Great Protector's icy, piercing eyes were fixed on Xu Nian before him as he asked coldly. Although it was just four simple words, the way he spoke them carried an undeniable air of authority and oppression.
"It's me." Facing the Great Protector's aggressive aura, Xu Nian remained calm and answered humbly.
"You have killed so many disciples of my Ten Thousand Demons Sect! Today, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!" The Great Protector roared, his eyes wide with fury. With his roar, an extremely terrifying black demonic energy surged forth like a raging tide, sweeping wildly in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the entire shop was engulfed by this powerful demonic energy, and the tables, chairs, and other items inside were reduced to dust under its impact.
"You think you can take me on?" Facing the overwhelming power of the Great Protector and the terrifying demonic energy that swept in like a tidal wave, Xu Nian's lips curled up slightly, revealing a disdainful sneer.
"Arrogant!" The Great Protector roared furiously, his figure flashing like lightning, instantly appearing before Xu Nian. He thrust out a palm, and in an instant, a chilling demonic energy surged from his palm, rapidly condensing into an enormous, pitch-black, ferocious demonic claw, which slammed down on Xu Nian with the force of a mountain crushing an egg.