Chapter 69: Evolution of the Void Heaven

Before he even drew close, Xu Chao’s blade aura was already pressing down upon Mu Qingnan.

Mu Qingnan remained entirely unfazed; a brilliant light flashed within his eyes, and a surging, towering fighting spirit erupted into the surroundings.

Streaks of golden light swept past at extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, the battle spirit of a centurion materialized, enveloping Mu Qingnan’s body.

At the exact same time, four additional centurions, with golden light flickering across their forms, appeared around him, looking majestic and extraordinary.

Those with higher cultivation levels had already sensed something amiss the moment Mu Qingnan began condensing the golden light to manifest his battle spirit, for such martial arts were the exclusive hallmark of an elite powerhouse.

Just as he finished these actions, Xu Chao’s blade aura finally cleaved downward. Mu Qingnan grabbed with his arm, and the centurion’s curved saber instantly lashed upward, smashing the incoming blade aura into complete fragments.

Capitalizing on the subtle insight of his realm, his body moved a step ahead. While Xu Chao’s body was still surging forward, Mu Qingnan’s left hand had already clenched into a fist, slamming fiercely toward Xu Chao’s abdomen.

Before Xu Chao could recover from the recoil of having his blade aura shattered, a searing pain shot through his stomach, and his body was sent flying backward.

At that moment, the four centurions surrounding Mu Qingnan moved. With blistering speed, they arrived beneath Xu Chao before he could hit the ground.

Then, raising all four fists in unison, they bombarded Xu Chao’s downward-facing back.

Crack!

The sound of snapping bones echoed out. Xu Chao’s body bounced upward once more from the impact, and a miserable shriek escaped his lips.

Mu Qingnan could actually have pursued and pressed the attack further, but having followed Yu Qi for so long, he had learned the principles of conduct in the world. After all, this was the territory of the Void Sky Sect, and he could not afford to push matters too far.

All of this transpired in the flash of a spark, and it was only now that those with slightly inferior strength reacted.

"This is..."

"This is the peerless martial art of the God-General Mu Wenfeng, *Array Deployment on the Battlefield*!"

"Could this youth be Mu Wenfeng’s son, Mu Qingnan?!"

"Stop shoving, let me get a look at *Array Deployment on the Battlefield*—who stole my silver?!"

Exclamations of shock rang out from the surrounding crowd one after another.

Mu Wenfeng’s son—such a background was not something a mere procurement disciple of the Void Sky Gate could compare to. Even if he were to hurl insults, what could anyone do about it?

The shopkeeper wore an expression of sheer disbelief, filled now with profound regret. He himself did not particularly fear Xu Chao; rather, he feared the Void Sky Sect standing behind him.

Had he refused to sell the Snow Spirit Worm to the Void Sky Sect a moment ago and instead sold it to Mu Qingnan right in front of Xu Chao, would he not have forged ties with the son of one of the seventeen supreme powerhouses?

Thud!

Xu Chao’s body slammed onto the ground, his face pressed tightly against the earth. Because the bones in his back were fractured, he was entirely unable to roll over.

A look of utter disbelief still lingered within his eyes. His own realm of insight was mere fraction away from stepping into the subtle micro-realm. Among his peers, apart from a select few supreme geniuses, he considered himself unmatched by anyone.

Yet now, he had actually been defeated by a youth who looked even younger than himself. Resentment burned bitterly within him.

Footsteps sounded beside Xu Chao. He turned his head slightly, only to be met with the sight of a pair of shoes.

"I told you I’d beat you until you looked like a dog eating dung, but you just wouldn't believe me. I’ll be taking the Snow Spirit Worm, see you later." Mu Qingnan chuckled playfully beside him, then turned and walked toward the Treasure Pavilion.

"You insult my sect, and yet you still wish to leave?" At that very moment, an icy voice suddenly echoed from behind Mu Qingnan.

He turned around and saw that an additional man had appeared beside Xu Chao at some point.

This man did not wear the disciple robes of the Void Sky Sect; instead, he was clad in a tight-fitting brown outfit, with a cascade of long red hair falling over his shoulders. His hawk-like, ruthless eyes locked firmly onto Mu Qingnan.

The moment Mu Qingnan turned, he felt a piercing, razor-sharp gaze stab into him.

Merely by standing there, the opponent exuded a ferocious aura that pressed down upon Mu Qingnan. He knew instantly that this person was vastly superior to Xu Chao—stronger by an enormous margin.

"Isn't that Zhi Tianya? This kid is likely in trouble now."

"Why is Zhi Tianya here?"

"I heard that Zhi Tianya came to the City Lord’s Estate in Sand City today alongside a Void God, but I never expected to see him here."

Gazing at the man whose presence vastly outmatched his own, Mu Qingnan asked, "And who might you be?"

"There is no need to ask, because very soon, you will end up in the exact same state as Xu Chao," Zhi Tianya said coldly. He slowly took a step forward.

A great many members of the surrounding crowd grew intensely excited, for today, they might actually witness two supreme martial arts clashes.

Mu Qingnan’s expression turned cautious. This time, he summoned even his unevolved battle spirits alongside the centurions.

"Let me see whether your *Array Deployment on the Battlefield* is more formidable, or if my *Void Sky Evolution* proves superior." Zhi Tianya extended a single finger toward the heavens, and a stream of black aura erupted from his fingertip, surging upward into the sky.

Directly above the two of them, a roiling mass of black clouds instantly formed, gradually morphing into a slowly revolving black vortex. A silent and terrifying aura cascaded downward from it—this was the Void Sky.

Faintly visible within the Void Sky were three bizarrely shaped structures. It was rumored that if one cultivated this technique to the absolute pinnacle, it could evolve nine structures, and at that time, the true might of *Void Sky Evolution* would reach its terrifying zenith.

Although Zhi Tianya had yet to reach the ultimate mastery, it was still far from something Mu Qingnan could withstand.

Zhi Tianya’s raised arm dropped downward, and the Void Sky above immediately pressed down upon Mu Qingnan.

With a leap, Zhi Tianya’s body vanished into the Void Sky.

Mu Qingnan watched the descending black vortex and noticed that Zhi Tianya, having entered it, was now standing atop one of the realms within, gripping a similarly bizarrely shaped structure.

With his integration, the number of structures within the Void Sky increased from three to four, intensifying its overwhelming pressure by another notch.

Mu Qingnan’s gaze turned razor-sharp. Raising his head alongside all his battle spirits, he clenched his right hand tightly into a fist and threw a fierce punch upward toward the approaching Void Sky.

Boom!

A muffled explosion reverberated in all directions, shattering the eardrums of onlookers and forcing the crowd to retreat a few steps; only those with formidable strength remained unaffected.

The sole sensation Mu Qingnan experienced was a crushing, tyrannical pressure, followed by a violent tearing force that ground relentlessly against him.

Those battle spirits that had yet to evolve into centurions were instantly churned into fragments.

As for the battle spirits that had condensed into centurions, though they managed to hold on for a moment, faint cracks began to spiderweb across their forms. If this continued, defeat was inevitable.

His eyes frantically tracked the opponent’s movements, capturing even the tiniest shift—escapes impossible from his eyes that had already entered the subtle micro-realm.

Yet, despite this, he could perceive no trace of an opening, forced to watch helplessly as his centurions gradually shattered piece by piece.