The two individuals at the center of the commotion stood tall, cloaked entirely in black robes, their demeanor reflecting a sense of shamelessness.
Eight figures encircled them, including a middle-aged man in law enforcement attire, Nantian Wugao teacher Pang Long, and others.
Simultaneously, a few armored vehicles had come to a halt roughly a hundred meters away. Their laser headlights illuminated the area, creating an artificial day, with soldiers wielding sniper rifles taking aim at the two individuals.
At that moment, Lin Xiong, who had halted them with a single palm, advanced steadily and spoke with a deep voice, "You vile henchmen of the Heretic God, causing trouble in Keluoya was bad enough, but now you dare to infiltrate Dong Xia, my territory."
"Tell me, who is aiding you?"
One of the black-robed figures croaked, "I don't understand what you're talking about. We're here to spread the will of the great Supreme God, Aknus."
"Hmph! You won't confess, will you?"
Lin Xiong's eyes grew cold. "Do you think we wouldn't discover it if you kept silent? You've been able to hide for so long with your sinister appearance because no one noticed you?"
"Let me guess, you couldn't approach here by land or air, so you had to take the waterway."
"And this city is connected to the waterway, with only a few groups and a few factions that can avoid scrutiny from various sources."
At that moment, the two believers suddenly shouted frantically, "For the great Aknus!"
Boom!
In an instant, the red light surrounding them surged, and they transformed into larger blood python phantoms, spanning several meters. An intense malevolence permeated the area.
Observing this, the expressions of Pang Long and the surrounding group changed slightly, prompting them to take a step back involuntarily.
"Be cautious, shield yourselves with true power to avoid being tainted by their impure blood."
Bang, bang!
Meanwhile, on the armored vehicle a hundred meters away, two soldiers wielding sniper rifles suddenly opened fire. Two bullets, powerful enough to pierce through an armored vehicle, punctured the blood python's body, creating holes the size of washbasins before stopping in front of the disciple's thigh due to an unseen force.
"No need to shoot; just block the area to prevent anyone from coming to their aid."
With those words, Lin Xiong unleashed a mighty aura that engulfed the surroundings, forming a two-foot-tall phantom of a black, violent ape behind him.
Roar!
Amidst the violent ape phantom's roar, Lin Xiong leaped tens of meters into the air, his body emitting a brilliant black radiance, and he delivered a powerful palm strike.
Simultaneously, the violent ape phantom behind Lin Xiong also descended its palm, resulting in a double-layered black palm print that spanned ten meters.
Boom!
The palm prints materialized, and a crushing pressure descended upon the two believers, causing their bones to crack. The ground within a ten-meter radius of them abruptly caved in, leaving behind a palm print indentation over ten centimeters deep.
Confronted with this nearly irresistible attack, the two believers raised their heads, revealing their dark and rugged faces. Their expressions were frenzied, displaying no fear whatsoever.
"Great Aknus, we willingly offer everything to the world just for your manifestation, for you to reveal yourself, O Hydra."
Alongside their eerie and frantic prayers, the blood coursing through their bodies grew even more vigorous, and a formidable force surged forth.
Hiss, hiss!
Amid the blazing blood, the heads of ferocious blood pythons erupted one after another, transforming into nine blood pythons that shot skyward. All of this occurred in the blink of an eye.
Nine python-like figures, each as thick as a bucket, hissed as they coiled and lunged toward Lin Xiong in the sky. They collided forcefully with the descending palm prints.
Boom!
Red and black radiance erupted in mid-air, and the explosive force resembled that of hundreds of kilograms of high explosives detonating.
The ground trembled under the sheer might of the explosion, causing the street lamps along the nearby riverside road to shatter, obliterated by the shockwave.
Such a terrifying destructive force left the Heavy Armored Beast submerged in the river at a distance tensed with anticipation.
Minutes later, the dust and smoke settled, revealing an enormous pit with an eight-meter diameter at its center. At the pit's base lay only severed limbs and fragments of the "black-robed men."
In the distance, Pang Long and the others retracted their protective barriers and approached the pit with solemn expressions.
"These individuals are utterly deranged, willing to explode themselves if they cannot achieve their objectives," remarked the middle-aged man in law enforcement attire with a deep voice. "This is what makes them so formidable. Before joining the Cult of the Heretic God, these people were just ordinary Third Heaven cultivators."
"But after joining the cult of the malevolent gods and acquiring something known as divine blood, many individuals broke through to the fourth and fifth heavens, causing their strength to skyrocket."
"And when they find themselves in dire straits, these fanatics will ignite their blood, causing themselves to explode. The power unleashed in their self-destruction is potent enough to severely wound, or even kill, experts stronger than them."
"Due to this reason, numerous masters of the Keroja royal family have suffered serious injuries from surprise attacks, leading to a worsening situation."
Lin Xiong approached with a grave expression. "It's indeed quite troublesome. After utilizing the so-called divine blood, their strength has significantly ascended."
"Originally, their strength upon entering the sixth heaven was almost on par with my own power."
Pang Long rolled his eyes playfully. "Old Lin, don't be coy. You know that you're incredibly formidable since your breakthrough to the Seventh Heaven, and you even demonstrated it with a single explosive strike."
Several other schoolteachers seemed envious yet amused. It appeared that Lin Xiong's feigned swagger was rubbing them the wrong way.
"Hey, not convinced? If you're not, you can aim for a breakthrough yourself," Lin Xiong chuckled.
Pang Long replied enviously, "We'd like to, but it seems we're still a bit short."
"But Lao Lin, since you've reached the Seventh Heaven, shouldn't you be heading back there?" Pang Long asked.
Lin Xiong nodded. "Indeed, I've already requested a transfer to the frontline battlefield and will be departing after this semester."
"However, the cult of the malevolent gods has been growing more audacious recently, even spreading among Koroja's smaller allies. I'm unsure how the higher-ups will address it."
As they conversed, an armored vehicle arrived from a distance. Soldiers disembarked and began collecting the remains of the two believers for further research.
Afterward, everyone got into their vehicles and departed, leaving the riverbank in silence once more.
It wasn't until then that the aquatic plants by the river slightly rustled, and the heavy armored beast cautiously raised its head from the water. It observed the sizable pit in the distance with a sense of astonishment.
Having witnessed the preceding events and even overheard the conversation among Lin Xiong and the others, Chen Chu didn't anticipate that a high-ranking true martial artist could wield such incredible power. Just at the Seventh Heavenly Layer, Lin Xiong could unleash devastating destruction with a single strike, far surpassing the martial arts masters from the videos Chen Chu had watched.
Terms like Zhenwu Xuying, malevolent god, and divine blood were also new to him.
It seemed that this world harbored more dangers than he had initially imagined.
Gazing thoughtfully at the massive pit, the heavy armored beast gradually submerged itself in the river. It intended to feast on a mutated fish, recognizing the ever-present perils of this world.