This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Chapter 372: Erupting Strength

Tianyi could count the number of times he faced death on one hand. Emperor Soulfish’s assault, the Dragon Emperor-possessed Lei Jingye, and third, the Inner Devil Tribulation. And now, he suspected he was going to face the fourth life-threatening situation in his life.

“Pangu!!!” the five-armed giant bellowed. His shout created a tornado with him at the center from sheer volume alone.

Tianyi stared at the five-armed, sphere-headed giant with slight confusion. The hatred in his voice reminded him of his first encounter with Lei Jingye. Only, the visceral emotion contained within the five-armed giant’s words exceeded whatever Lei Jingye himself said. It made his anger at Xia Yushan’s betrayal seem like a child’s tantrum in comparison.

However, Tianyi didn’t have time to ponder anymore as the heavenly punishment descended without giving him time to think. The bolt had no color. Rather, it appeared closer to a hole in reality covered in a golden hue. The worst part was the coercion. Normally, it was him freezing spacetime and shackling his opponent in place. Now, it was his turn to experience the unpleasant sensation.

While Tianyi struggled to escape the shackles, the five-armed giant already broke out of his restraints. “Pangu, as long as the five elements persist, I, Wuxing, shall never fall!”

Tianyi watched as a ring formed of five elements appeared on Wuxing’s back. The ring spun as the five elements blurred into one solid black color. Simultaneously, Wuxing’s five arms took on the same tone as the five elements perfectly merged into one greater supreme element.

Fist clashed against lightning. However, heavenly punishment wasn’t so easily dealt with. Wuxing’s fist only momentarily stalled the bolt of lightning. Just as it seemed the lightning would resume its strike, a second fist struck the bolt, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, and many, many more. Wuxing sent a barrage of fists that halted the bolt’s movement, and even started pushing it back.

Furthermore, cracks appeared on the bolt of heavenly punishment. The longer the barrage of fists continued, the more cracks appeared until, finally, Wuxing shattered the bolt of heavenly punishment with one last punch. But heavenly punishment was not so easily destroyed.

Whereas heavenly tribulation tested a cultivator’s mettle, the heavenly punishment’s aim was to utterly destroy the target. Unless the target’s strength outstripped his current realm or had a unique existence like Tianyi, it was almost impossible to overcome. Considering the Divine Realm was the limit, that was quite literally impossible for Wuxing to survive.

The shattered bolt of heavenly punishment slipped through Wuxing’s fists and stabbed toward the sphere-shaped head. Contrary to Tianyi’s spacetime attacks, the shards pierced the sphere and then dissolved into a shroud of void lightning. Wuxing roared in pain, but he still stood strong.

The five phases ring whirling on his back separated and shifted until the sphere was in the center of the rings. This placement made the sphere and ring resemble a planet and its planetary rings. The five phases aura spilled from ring and covered the sphere, disintegrating the lightning within its new shroud.

Wuxing didn’t have any time to breathe as a second bolt of heavenly punishment descended. Then a third, a fourth, and so on.

From the side, Tianyi watched with rapt attention. For once, he wasn’t the automatic target of the Heavenly Dao’s punishment or tribulation. ‘Is this what it feels like as a member of the audience?’

Tianyi shook his head. Now was not the time to dawdle like some dazed idiot. The clash between Wuxing and the heavenly punishment had loosened the shackles placed upon him, allowing him to break loose and retreat.

First, he lowered his sense of presence as much as possible. Although the heavenly punishment was currently preoccupied with Wuxing, it didn’t mean that it wouldn’t choose to strike at him. Second, the aftereffects of the clash between Wuxing and the heavenly punishment destroyed the surrounding area, and even true immortals stood no chance of surviving if struck by a stray aftershock. So, Tianyi teleported them into his inner universe.

He prioritized Daoyi’s safety and everyone else’s second. Of course, he didn’t have the strength nor reason to interfere with the Eight Trigrams Sovereign War Formation battle against Grand Elder Zhang and Eternal Night Emperor. Even with the ongoing heavenly punishment, the three continued to duke it out while avoiding any stray shots.

After some hesitation, Tianyi decided to join the fray. After all, if Wuxing perished and the heavenly punishment targeted him, he could store the Grand Elder Zhang, the Eternal Night Emperor, and the members of the Anti-Earth Alliance in his inner universe.

Moreover...

“Do you sense Monarch Xi?” Grand Elder Zhang asked. She couldn’t sense Tianyi normally, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“No, I can’t sense him with my immortal sense or my eyes,” the Eternal Night Emperor said. “Did he sacrifice himself once he saw that he couldn’t escape?’

Grand Elder Zhang hesitated. She didn’t like Tianyi because of the single fact that he was a potential Dragon Emperor clone, but she knew how important he was to the sect. Sect Master Xia has shared some information regarding Tianyi’s abilities, so she didn’t think the chances of his death were high, but she couldn’t help but worry.

Her worries were for naught as the Eight Trigrams Sovereign Formation was launched into the air, as if something had struck its abdomen with a monstrous force. Or rather, someone. Grand Elder Zhang’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Tianyi’s positively miniscule figure next to the giant war formation. He appeared largely unharmed, but the same couldn’t be said for his robes.

“Charge!” she commanded, leading the forces of the Buzhou Immortal Sect and the Anti-Earth Alliance with herself in the lead, with the Eternal Night Emperor following close by.

Once Grand Elder Zhang engaged in battle with the last of the Eight Pillar Sect, she noticed that Tianyi’s skin took on a tone that resembled the night sky. She didn’t have time for questions as she had to focus on her attention on Emperor Infinity and the war formation he commanded.

The Eight Trigrams Sovereign War Formation had weakened down partially because of Tianyi’s Constellation Cessation, but more significantly due to the prolonged battle against Grand Elder Zhang’s Voidink Emperor War Formation, the Eternal Night Emperor, and the siege against it. The situation didn’t turn for the better as Tianyi released the Buzhou Immortal Sect members that formerly held down the Eight Pillar Sect members he killed.

“Elder Xi, if Emperor Infinity suddenly attempts to self-detonate, we’ll be relying on you to save us,” Grand Elder Zhang said. Without waiting for Tianyi to reply, she charged again.

Tianyi paused. He nodded even if Grand Elder Zhang couldn’t see it. Since he had to watch out for the Eight Trigrams Sovereign War Formation’s self-detonation, he disengaged from close-range and started using spells. With a swipe of his hands, he opened a portal to the Nine Heavens Universe. From within, hundreds of stellar incarnations charged out and self-detonated once the Eight Trigrams Sovereign War Formation entered range.

While the Buzhou Immortal Sect and the Anti-Earth Alliance waged war against the last of the Eight Pillar Sect, Wuxing continued to defy the Heavenly Dao and the heavenly punishment. However, the heavenly punishment continued endlessly, and Wuxing tired. He was just one being facing the might of the Three Thousand Immortal Realms System.

“I’m unwilling, unwilling to die like this after I finally revived after all these years!” Wuxing said. Madness entered his nonexistent eyes.

Shockingly, he didn’t resist the next bolt of heavenly punishment. The bolt struck him and an explosion formed of five elements spread. So great was its might that the battle between the sects temporarily halted as they did their best to protect themselves. But this did not concern Wuxing at all as a ringed sphere shot out of the explosion.

It accelerated, rocketing past the black clouds and to the boundary of the Huang Realm. In less than ten seconds, Wuxing had torn a hole in the boundary and escaped into the Vast Void. Seeing his chance, Emperor Infinity followed Wuxing’s trail.

“Not on my watch,” Tianyi said as he appeared in front of the Eight Trigrams Sovereign War Formation, blocking its path.

“Since you want to die so badly, I’ll grant you your wish!” Emperor Infinity said from within the war formation. Black and white light shrouded the war formation’s palm as it reached for Tianyi.

Not to back down, nine Stellar Silences appeared in Tianyi’s palm as he met the Eight Trigrams Sovereign War Formation head on. Before the two blows could connect, a bolt of heavenly punishment shot toward them—or more specifically, Tianyi.

“Dammit!” Tianyi said. In the rush of battle, he had forgotten that heavenly punishment only existed within the realm. Once Wuxing escaped to the Vast Void, he would become its only target.