Chapter 198: Chapter 193: Breaking the Shield

Seeing Mu Chen’s fist coming from behind, Tang E’s combat instincts took over. As a Nine-Ring Martial Spirit, he reacted subconsciously even without clearly seeing Mu Chen’s speed. He twisted his body, his fist enveloped in white Primordial Power, and used the momentum of his turn to throw a punch back at Mu Chen.

BOOM!!!

The two fists collided, and a massive explosion echoed throughout the entire Imperial Capital. A powerful Qi Force erupted from the point of impact, sweeping through the street. The onlookers were all caught in the shockwave and forced to retreat. Only an old man in a deep red battle robe stood his ground, his eyes gleaming, like a towering, awe-inspiring mountain peak.

After the explosion, Mu Chen remained motionless in midair. Tang E, however, had been blasted back more than fifty meters. He stared at Mu Chen, his face filled with terror. His arm trembled violently, the Primordial Power that had enveloped it now mostly dissipated—a testament to the sheer power of Mu Chen’s strike.

’So much power!’

Tang E’s expression became exceptionally grim. This wasn’t the first time he had been knocked back. Within the Tang Family, his strength was considered upper-tier, and there were certainly people who could defeat him. But there was only one person who could send him flying that far in an instant: the Tang Family Patriarch, Tang Yuan. However, Tang Yuan had already reached the Martial Arts Grandmaster Realm. ’This boy before me is only a Four-Ring Martial Spirit... how did he do it?’

’Could it be Innate Divine Power?’

That was the only explanation Tang E could think of. As his numb arm gradually regained feeling, Mu Chen could no longer hold back. Thunder Light surged beneath his feet, and he once again became a streak of lightning, rocketing toward Tang E. This time, from fifty meters away, Tang E could finally see Mu Chen’s movements, if only for an instant. But that instant was enough for him to react.

Primordial Power once again enveloped Tang E’s arm. In that same moment, Mu Chen unleashed his attack. With Thunder Light flickering around his own arm, his fist collided with Tang E’s in a flash of electricity.

BOOM!!!

The blow landed, and Tang E was once again sent flying by Mu Chen’s power. This time, however, Mu Chen gave him no chance to react. With a flicker, he appeared in front of Tang E mid-flight, his arm wreathed in a Spiral Blood Pattern, and thrust his fist unhesitatingly toward Tang E’s chest.

Startled, Tang E felt a terrifying, oppressive aura. His arm twitched, and with a flash from his ring, a round, cyan-and-red shield materialized in front of his chest.

CLANG!!!

The crisp sound of metal striking metal stunned everyone for a moment. Mu Chen was shocked; the immense rebound force sent a sharp pain through his arm.

’A shield!’

Mu Chen stared at the cyan-and-red round shield in Tang E’s hand, his face a mask of utter astonishment.

Tang E frowned, swiftly strapping the round shield to his right arm. "You’re a strange one," he said flatly. "It seems the standards of the Martial Artist Realm don’t apply to you. I received this shield as a reward for saving the Tang Family Patriarch’s life. It’s the Profound Tier Peak Primordial Shield!"

’The Primordial Shield?’

Mu Chen froze for a second. ’If it’s called the Primordial Shield, it must be able to negate most Primordial Power attacks. It looks like taking down Tang E instantly is going to be difficult now.’

"That’s... the Primordial Shield..." Kong Ye Ming muttered, leaning against the corner of a wall as he looked at the cyan-and-red round shield on Tang E’s arm in the air.

The Primordial Shield was one of the three great Divine Artifacts of the Xuanling Empire, alongside the Wind Dragon Roar and the Earth-Splitting Blade. It could nullify a massive amount of Primordial Power, making its defensive capabilities extraordinary. Emperor Xuan Yin had gifted the shield to the Tang Family to reward them for their contributions to the Empire. To think it had ended up with Tang E.

"Mu Chen, that shield’s defense against Primordial Power is outstanding, comparable to an Earth-Rank Divine Weapon! You have to be careful!" Kong Ye Ming shouted up at Mu Chen.

Mu Chen nodded and smiled. "It’s fine. In fact... this makes things more interesting."

A grin spread across his face. A red light flashed from behind Mu Chen’s closed eyelids as a massive, spectral red Magical Beast descended from the sky, materializing behind him. The next moment, a heaven-shaking roar shattered the brief silence. On Mu Chen’s arm, another red pattern spiraled into existence. The second of Mu Chen’s Power Seals was broken!

ROAR!!!

The red giant beast let out a monstrous roar. Mu Chen’s long hair whipped about, though there was no wind. A crimson Flame Vortex instantly formed around his fist. The vortex was starkly visible in the air, and the searing heat it radiated made everyone on the ground below flinch.

’Let’s see if your Primordial Shield can withstand my Blast Fist.’

His expression hardened as he secretly activated the Taotie Secret Technique. All the power in his body was instantly drawn out and gathered, coalescing in his legs in the blink of an eye. He took a single step, and space itself shuddered. Like a wisp of smoke, Mu Chen vanished without a trace.

This time, even the pupils of the old man standing below like a mountain range contracted sharply, because even he could only catch a glimpse of a black shadow.

’So fast!’

He was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, Mu Chen appeared before Tang E. He activated the Taotie Secret Technique once again, but this time, all the red energy in his body converged on the arm enveloped by the Flame Vortex.

"Blast Fist!!!"

With a low shout, Mu Chen’s fist slammed viciously into Tang E’s Primordial Shield. A sharp CRACK echoed as a fissure split across the shield’s surface, Tang E’s face a mask of horror. A sensation of weightlessness washed over him, and he felt his body shoot away like a meteor, hurtling toward the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

Everyone saw that as Mu Chen’s punch landed, the Flame Vortex surrounding his arm attached itself to the Primordial Shield.

The corner of Mu Chen’s mouth lifted into a smirk. He clenched his left fist slightly and said flatly, "Looks like your shield wasn’t sturdy enough... Explode."

KABOOM!!!

A flash of red light, and a mushroom cloud erupted in the distant outskirts, rising high into the air. It stained the entire sky crimson, bathing the faces of all the onlookers in its scarlet glow.

Mu Chen’s figure slowly descended. At his command, the Taotie Seal rapidly retracted, and his Primordial Power receded. The Ice Crystal Petals formed by his Red Lotus Ice Technique shattered, dissolving into tiny blue Profound Ice Particles that scattered in the air.

Kong Ye Ming tilted his head up, his eyes wide with a shock that wouldn’t fade as he gazed at Mu Chen’s handsome and confident face. Mu Chen looked down, helped him up, and said, "We need to get back to the academy, quickly. We caused a huge scene. It’ll be trouble if the Imperial Guard shows up."

Without waiting for a reply, Mu Chen circulated his Primordial Power, pulled the immobilized Kong Ye Ming to his feet, and shot up into the sky.

Already accustomed to Walking on Air, Mu Chen felt none of a novice’s awkwardness. In fact, using his Elemental Power Materialization, he pushed his sky-walking ability to its limit, disappearing from view after just a few flashing leaps.

After Mu Chen left, the old man who had stood unshaken in the crowd smiled faintly and shook his head. "The Xuanling Empire," he murmured, "has produced a true monster."

As soon as the words left his lips, the old man vanished into the crowd. By now, Tang Yu and the other guards had already rushed off to find their Guard Captain, Tang E. Although Mu Chen’s Blast Fist had been ferocious, he hadn’t intended to kill, so Tang E was certainly not dead. However, he wouldn’t be escaping the punishment of being laid up for half a month.

As for the Primordial Shield, when Tang Yu and the guards reached Tang E, all they found was a pile of cyan-and-red metal fragments. The prized treasure of the Tang Family was no more.

The cool wind whipped past them in the sky. Finally roused by the chill, Kong Ye Ming came to his senses. His first words were:

"Mu Chen, let me be your follower! I’ll stick with you from now on."

The corner of Mu Chen’s mouth twitched, and he almost let go of Kong Ye Ming’s hand.

"Stop joking around. You’re the sole son of the Left Minister, the future Chancellor of the Xuanling Empire, and you want to be my follower? That wouldn’t be right."

As he spoke, Mu Chen quickly activated the White Dragon Cauldron within his body, converting the large quantity of Healing Herbs he had just swallowed into potent Medicinal Power and rapidly infusing it into Kong Ye Ming.

The White Dragon Cauldron was truly a treasure on par with a Divine Artifact. Every Fifth-Grade Medicinal Herb he swallowed was instantly refined by it into pure Medicinal Power. Though Mu Chen used the cauldron often and understood its basic functions, he remained completely mystified by its deeper secrets. ’What if I put the ingredients for a Gathering Essence Pill inside? Would the White Dragon Cauldron automatically refine them into a finished pill?’

Of course, that was just a theory he would have to test when he returned. The effects of Fifth-Grade Healing Herbs were already remarkable on their own. And while Kong Ye Ming’s injuries had been severe, they weren’t critical. As a result, he was completely healed on the way back to the academy.

Kong Ye Ming was astonished by his rapid recovery and began lavishing Mu Chen with all kinds of praise. Mu Chen could only listen with a grimace of exasperation.

"By the way, Mu Chen," Kong Ye Ming asked tentatively, "I heard a faction called the Demon Castle was established in the outer circle. Judging by the name, it must be in direct opposition to the Holy Hall, right?"

He had heard about the establishment of the Demon Castle for some time, but he was filled with questions. ’Why would two factions appear in a single academy? And based on their names, they seem to be complete opposites.’

Mu Chen gave Kong Ye Ming a long, serious look. "They are. And I can tell you why, because one day you’ll be a high-ranking official in the Xuanling Empire. The Demon Castle was established to create balance in the Xuanling Empire’s current political climate."

"Balance the political climate?" Kong Ye Ming repeated.

Mu Chen nodded and explained the situation to him one more time. Kong Ye Ming’s expression shifted from disbelief to rage before he finally calmed himself. "In that case, I should leave the Holy Hall and join the Demon Castle right now. But... if I leave, then there will be no one to keep an eye on the Holy Hall’s activities. As a citizen of the Empire, I have a responsibility to ensure its safety. Therefore, I will remain in the Holy Hall to gather intelligence. Time is of the essence, so I won’t say more. I’ll contact you if anything develops. From now on, the less we interact, the better."