Chapter Fifty-Two: The Sovereign Armament of Profound Yellow!

In stark contrast to the supreme demonic body technique that merely amplified his power, every strike Yang Nan unleashed at this moment carried the force of a thousand demon soldiers striking with all their might; the might of it was beyond comparison.

Yet the Ten Thousand Demons Returning to Origin Formation had its own fatal flaws. Once Yang Nan had drained its power, the thousand bodyguards would surely suffer enormous losses.

Yang Lan stared in astonishment at the demonic formation Yang Nan had cast, a formation so dense with demonic energy it seemed to blot the heavens. According to the intelligence supplied by Li Yun, it was supposed to be the supreme demonic body art—so how had it become this bizarre formation instead?

The formation hovered in the air like an endless cloud, demonic aura surging skyward. Yang Nan began to draw it in frantically, while a thousand demon soldiers strained to pour every last trace of their power into him.

In an instant, enough demonic power had accumulated within Yang Nan’s body for him to seem transformed into a peerless fiend, filled with savage cruelty and violence, and with a single fist he smashed toward Yang Lan.

"Die, Yang Lan!"

With the strength of a thousand demons behind it, that full-power blow had the force to blot out the heavens. For a moment Yang Lan felt as though the sky itself had gone dark, and that boundless darkness was a colossal beast opening its bloody maw to swallow him whole.

He concentrated all his force into one punch. Such power could shatter mountains and peaks. The demonic aura raged madly in the air, faintly carrying the terrible resonance of ghosts wailing and wolves howling.

The many masters watching from the side all changed expression.

Yang Nan’s punch, bearing the total demonic power of a thousand demon soldiers, could probably punch straight through a mountain.

And what of a grandmaster? With a thousand demons’ power, even mountains could be uprooted. One punch could split the earth and topple peaks—how could Yang Lan, no matter how formidable, stand against such celestial force?

"Six Paths of Reincarnation!"

Yang Lan roared, and six streams of force burst forth from his body, interweaving like countless veins to form a gigantic fist that collided violently with Yang Nan’s demonic blow.

BOOM!

The immense demon cloud around Yang Nan shook. Yang Lan, however, went pale and staggered backward several paces. Even with his cultivation as a grandmaster, he could not withstand the furious strike of the Ten Thousand Demons Returning to Origin Formation with pure force.

Seeing that this thousandfold demonic power truly was monstrous, Yang Nan had indeed driven Yang Lan back with a single punch, yet he felt no joy at all.

The Ten Thousand Demons Returning to Origin Formation could only unite the strength of the bodyguards to unleash three punches. After those three blows, the demon soldiers would either cough blood and die, have their cultivation crippled, or even possibly revert to ordinary lesser demons.

There was no retreat now.

Yang Nan gathered his demonic power and drew every trace of it from the bodyguards’ bodies. His mind went blank; it was as though everything had come to a halt, as though all things had slowed to a crawl. Every movement Yang Lan made, every thread of power around him, appeared with crystal clarity before Yang Nan’s eyes.

"Die, Yang Lan!"

Yang Nan condensed the entire demon cloud into one mass, and his fist fell like mountains and rivers turned upside down, crashing down with devastating force.

"Excellent formation!"

This blow could not be blocked by the Six Paths Primordial Unity alone. Yang Lan’s eyes narrowed, and a brilliant light burst within them. His palm shifted into a lifting gesture, and from it flew a weapon of overwhelming arrogance: wheel-shaped, with layered iron leaves, as if a sun were slowly rising into the sky.

The instant this divine weapon, round as a steel wheel, emerged, it seemed that only one kind of aura remained between heaven and earth.

Wild! Tyrannical! Like the blazing sun at noon illuminating the land, an utterly unrestrained, infinitely arrogant dominance!

My will is the will of heaven. This is the source of tyranny. Such an iron will can turn the mandate of heaven itself.

That boundless domineering force rose like the sun at dawn, carrying unmatched ferocity as it slammed into Yang Nan’s fist.

BOOM!

Yang Nan’s full-powered, terrifying strike shattered outright before that inexhaustible tyrannical force. At least half of the thousand demon soldiers spurted blood, their power thrown into chaos.

"What is this monstrous thing?" Yang Nan withdrew his fist, horror flooding his heart. The power of a thousand demons gained nothing before such an overbearing weapon; instead, it was ripped apart completely.

With a single blow, Yang Nan’s formation fell into disarray, and the demon cloud was cut nearly in half in an instant.

Meanwhile, that wheel of yellow light slowly rose, like a sovereign descending to earth, carrying endless majesty and tyranny. That mass of yellow radiance seemed for a moment capable of contending with the blazing sun overhead.

Yang Lan’s expression turned cold, and a trace of proud disdain curved his lips. "To force me to bring out the Tyrant Weapon, Yellow Heaven, you do have some talent."

"Yellow Heaven of Tyranny?" Everyone present cried out in shock.

One of the legendary ten divine weapons of the world, its weapon-spirit overflowing with such arrogant tyranny that any magical power before it would only be torn apart and devoured. With such a divine weapon in Yang Lan’s hands, how could Yang Nan possibly stand against him? Not even the power of ten thousand demons would suffice.

Holding Yellow Heaven in his hand, Yang Lan’s black hair whipped about, armor clanging over his body, the overbearing aura of absolute supremacy flowing from him without concealment. The divine weapon in his grasp radiated a horrifying presence; tyrannical force blanketed the surrounding land, and those of lesser strength trembled in their hearts.

"I never expected Yang Lan to have even obtained one of the Ten Divine Weapons..." Yang Nan felt a surge of despair. Divine weapons like that were of the same extreme tier as the Blazing Fire Sword. He had once experienced the boundless, domineering flames within the Blazing Fire Sword, and even now the memory chilled him with fear. Facing such a weapon again, how could he still find the confidence to win?

A divine weapon like that, in the hands of a grandmaster, was unimaginably terrifying.

With the weapon in hand, Yang Lan wore a faint smile that made him seem all the more handsome. Looking at Yang Nan’s Ten Thousand Demons Returning to Origin Formation, he sighed, "Good nephew, if you can withstand a single strike from my Tyrant Weapon, Yellow Heaven, then today’s matter shall end here."

Yang Nan could only sigh inwardly. Since Yang Lan had spoken with such confidence, this tyrannical weapon, combined with his peerless martial cultivation, would likely unleash an earth-shaking blow. Whether he wished it or not, he had no choice but to take it.

"Supreme Tyranny!"

With a low shout, Yang Lan’s circular weapon spun in a wild dance, suddenly unleashing a pillar of force that shot straight toward Yang Nan.

For an instant, Yang Nan felt that the circular torrent of energy had scattered into countless ropes binding him tight, dragging his body apart in every direction.

Every single leaf of the Tyrant Weapon Yellow Heaven carried a fierce force that shattered technique and broken power alike. As the countless leaves hummed open together, their spinning was like ten thousand tornadoes turning at once. To Yang Nan, it seemed like a mad meat grinder capable of tearing apart everything in existence.

No matter how he channeled his power to protect himself, no matter how desperately he struggled, the immense pillar of force roared like thunder, and every thread of energy drawn into it was instantly annihilated. So long as he faltered even a little, Yang Nan would be torn into a thousand pieces.

With a thunderous crash, the Ten Thousand Demons Returning to Origin Formation finally could not withstand the tearing force of that tyrannical power. A thousand demon soldiers were sent raining down to the ground.

A vicious smile twisted at the corner of Yang Lan’s mouth, and the Tyrant Weapon unleashed countless raging tornadoes toward Yang Nan.

"Protect the young master!"

Under Shrimp Commander’s orders, the thousand demon soldiers stood tightly together and charged Yang Lan without the slightest hesitation.

Under the might of the Tyrant Weapon Yellow Heaven, almost everything could be swept away.

The myriad spinning leaves, unstoppable in their advance, sliced across every demon soldier they touched.

However desperately the thousand demon soldiers fought, however unyielding they were, the vast formation was gradually drained, torn apart, and finally reduced to nothingness.

One after another, the thousand demon soldiers were stripped of their power by the Tyrant Weapon Yellow Heaven and died in miserable fashion. Their demon cores, their cultivation, their flesh and blood—everything gradually turned into fragments and was devoured by the weapon...

At last, only Shrimp Commander and fewer than thirty demon soldiers remained beside Yang Nan.

Yang Lan gave a soft snort, and the terrifying yellow sun of light immediately dispersed its dreadful aura, turning back into a round wheel that whirred into his hand.

A thousand bodyguards, and in the blink of an eye only thirty remained.

Yang Nan raised his eyes and looked at Yang Lan’s cold face before him. The despair in his heart was beyond words. Such dreadful martial power was already no weaker than any divine art, and the Tyrant Weapon Yellow Heaven was tyrannical to the extreme.

With such a divine weapon in hand, who in the world, save the very greatest masters, could do anything to him?

A thousand demon soldiers, slain in agony.

For the first time in his life, Yang Nan felt such deep hatred toward a single person: if this vengeance were not avenged, he would be unworthy of being called a man.

"I cultivated martial arts for decades to reach this level, while you have studied the Way for only three years and already attained such progress. You truly are a genius of my Yang family." Weapon in hand, Yang Lan’s eyes showed admiration. The Ten Thousand Demons Returning to Origin Formation was no trivial matter. If this nephew were a little stronger, and if he had a magical weapon in hand, it would be hard to say who would prevail.

"Today, if you do not kill me, I will make sure you regret it beyond all measure in days to come." Yang Nan gave a cold laugh. He could be killed, but he would never submit.

The hatred from the thousand demon soldiers, added to old grudges, had risen to an unspeakable fury.

Seeing Yang Nan’s stubborn expression, Yang Lan’s iron-gray face took on a slight smile. "Good nephew, how could I bear to let you die? You are useful not only to me, but to His Majesty as well, and even more so to the Great Yuan Empire. You ought to outlive your dead father."

Hearing the chill in his tone, everyone present felt a shiver run through them.

"Dead father?" It was as though a bolt of heavenly thunder had struck Yang Nan. In that instant, he understood everything.

He clenched his fists and growled, "Yang Lan, you killed my father! Is that so, or is it not?!"

Though Yang Nan had come to this world through this body and had never seen his parents’ faces, he could not possibly be entirely indifferent to the parents who had given him life.

Yang Lan gave a contemptuous sneer. "The legitimate son of a duke—what a grand title! Back then, Yang Yuan relied on the bodyguard squad sent by our father and imagined he could run wild under heaven. If he had not died, it would have been we who died!"

Yang Nan laughed toward the sky. "Good... very good, Yang Lan! So it was you after all!" He pointed lightly at Yang Cheng and Yang He and said coldly, "And you too, Yang Cheng, Yang He... truly excellent disciples of the Yang household!"

His heart ached so badly it seemed ready to bleed. Whenever he had asked his grandfather about the cause of his parents’ deaths in the past, his grandfather had always flown into a rage. He had never understood why, when his grandfather was one of the three great masters of the Confucian school and held the authority of the realm, even he could not uncover the truth behind his father’s death.

Now he understood...

When brothers slaughter one another, how could a father not be heartbroken?
A tiger may be fierce, yet it does not devour its cubs... how many times had his grandfather’s heart been bleeding in silence?

Yang He’s face had gone as white as paper, but Yang Cheng sneered, "If that wretched bastard had been eliminated together with you back then, there would be no present day. That dead Yang Pu was one step ahead, but even he never imagined that today you would fall into our hands!"

Yang Nan said coldly, "If I miss today, I will see your entire clan destroyed. My grandfather could not bear to strike, but I, Yang Nan, have no such restraint."

The murder of his parents was a blood feud that could not be shared under the same sky. His grandfather’s sudden passing from illness may well have been caused by these wretched sons as well.

Yang He hesitated. "Nephew... you should still come back with your uncles. Your father’s death..."

"Silence!" Yang Nan glared furiously and shouted, pointing at them like a spear. "You are not fit to be my uncles, and I am not your nephew! If I do not wipe out your entire clan one day, I shall be unworthy of being a son and unworthy of being a grandson!"

Yang Lan smiled faintly, as though he did not care in the least about Yang Nan’s murderous words. "Yang Nan, you have but two choices now: die, or come back with me. If you continue this desperate struggle, I will send you to join your dead father."

Yang Nan stood tall and proud. Li Hao’s face had gone pale. Though he knew nothing of martial arts or the Way, he understood that Yang Nan had no chance to turn things around, and only Yang Lan’s restraint had spared his life. But if Yang Nan fell into the emperor’s hands, then Li Hao himself would have no hope at all.

"Master Chang Wen, Master Jiang Wuzong, please help me rescue Yang Nan! Forget about me, take Yang Nan and flee to Mount Kunlun!"

In an instant, Li Hao made his decision. If Yang Nan escaped, they would not dare kill him!

As long as Yang Nan escaped, there was still hope for everything.

The two grandmasters sighed inwardly. Having accepted another’s trust, they must remain loyal to the task entrusted to them. Since His Highness the Pure King had said as much, they would have to brave mountains of knives and seas of fire if need be.

A red and a blue divine weapon flared to life at once. Amid the interlacing red and blue light, countless star-like sword energies shot toward Yang Lan.

At the same moment, the Great Roc King also received Yang Nan’s signal and struck with both the Cloud-Piercing Spear and the Five-Color Fan.

Buzz.

In the Great Roc King’s hands, the five-colored feather fan was far beyond what Butterfly Garment could compare to. Tens of thousands of azure wind blades merged into one immense light-blade, bearing a aura of destruction as it cleaved straight down from the sky.

The Cloud-Piercing Spear was like a streak of blue rainbow crossing the heavens, sweeping sideways like a colossal whip of light toward the six grandmaster-level experts who were eager to join battle.

Even with the might of Yang Lan’s Tyrant Weapon, he would not dare to take head-on the Great Roc King’s full-powered strike with the five-colored feather fan.

BOOM!

The gigantic light-blade struck the ground, splitting the earth open in an instant with a vast ravine. The land trembled. A mighty tornado rose from the ground, and the wind blade’s momentum, as if capable of sweeping away all obstacles and cutting down everything in its path, made Yang Lan break out in a cold sweat, and only then did he realize what terrifying force the Way could exert at grandmaster level.

The Tyrant Weapon Yellow Heaven spun furiously, instantly meeting the two magical treasures in the Great Roc King’s hands. Though the Great Roc King possessed formidable power, he could not endure the tearing force of the tyrant weapon; with two treasures shielding him, he could only protect himself for the moment.

Since Yang Nan’s side had already moved their three grandmasters, the six grandmasters on the other side naturally would not stand idle. Some rose in surging demonic aura, some manifested divine generals, and some flying blood corpses pounced forward. Nine grandmasters were thus locked in fierce battle. Rows upon rows of houses were overturned in the blink of an eye. Not far away, Li Yun gave a cold smile and laid down an isolating sound barrier around the area. Even if the battle here shook heaven and earth apart, nothing would be heard outside.