Hai Lao and another elder were dumbfounded.
Was a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining actually useless trash?
Could Chen Nan's cultivation suppress a peak fifth-level Qi Refining expert?
They found this thought unacceptable.
After all, he was truly young!
Time flew by.
The next morning.
As dawn broke.
The RV arrived at the Hejin Service Area.
The capital city was less than a hundred kilometers away.
A fine rain was falling outside.
It made one feel slightly irritable, as few people enjoyed such dreary weather.
Especially now, at the beginning of winter, the biting north wind was omnipresent, like a knife honed with ice, feeling chilly against the skin.
The service area was eerily quiet.
As if it had been cleared out.
Chen Nan pushed open the car door and stepped out, stretching his arms. "Indeed, the Qu family doesn't want me to reach the capital alive!"
He paused, then looked ahead. "Fine, since you've come, why hide in the shadows like a shrinking turtle?"
"Courageous!"
An elder in a green robe emerged, hands clasped behind his back, walking with an unhurried gait. He held a jade flute, exuding an ethereal aura.
Huo Dong smiled with a knowing look. "I thought you were just boasting. I never expected you to actually take the Jingji Expressway and even stop at the Hejin Service Area to rest."
"I want to know, what's the point of doing this?"
"Delivering yourself to my doorstep?"
"Greetings, Elder Huo!"
Hai Lao and another cultivator alighted and bowed to Huo Dong.
Huo Dong held a high position in the Qu family.
He was the third strongest among the twelve guest elders!
Huo Dong's eyes were filled with coldness. "You couldn't even protect the young master. Are you two useless? If I had known, I wouldn't have sent you to Jizhou in the first place!"
The two dared not speak.
They had indeed failed in their duties this time.
Huo Dong turned his gaze to Chen Nan, his killing intent undisguised. "Chen Nan, I don't know what your backing is."
"But you injured the Qu family's young master."
"And you've been traveling north, challenging the Qu family's honor. Such arrogance is unbearable."
"I have been ordered to intercept and kill you today."
"Remember, my name is Huo Dong!"
"You will remember this name, lest the King of Hell asks you who killed you and you can't answer!"
With that, he formed a hand seal.
True Qi erupted from his body, manifesting into a sword qi about a meter long.
With a whoosh, it tore through the void and slashed towards Chen Nan.
As a peak fifth-level Qi Refining expert, this move was exceptionally terrifying.
The sword qi moved like lightning through the air.
Of course.
To Chen Nan, the speed was merely average.
"You don't need to tell me your name, you should be telling it to the King of Hell."
He formed a hand seal and employed the Water Manipulation Art.
A shield materialized out of thin air, directly blocking Huo Dong's sword qi!
Bang!
The sword qi and the shield exploded in the air, releasing a fearsome shockwave.
"Impressive!"
Huo Dong's eyes glinted with amusement. "I never expected that at your young age, you would have reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. Your talent can indeed be called prodigious."
"It's a pity you are too arrogant and don't take others seriously."
"This will inevitably lead to your demise!"
"And I, I enjoy terminating geniuses!"
"Yes, you can call me the Genius Terminator!"
With that, he formed another hand seal.
Instantly, the wind howled and clouds churned, and thunder rumbled in the sky.
"Is that the Thunderclap Art?"
Hai Lao exclaimed.
The Qu family possessed many ancient techniques, and the Thunderclap Art was one of them.
Although they had studied it, this technique was extremely difficult to cultivate, and they had never succeeded.
"Die!"
Huo Dong roared.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck down towards Chen Nan.
Just as everyone believed Chen Nan would be hit, he used the technique of Shrinking Ground into Inches, instantly appearing behind Huo Dong.
Splat!
The lightning struck the ground where Chen Nan had been standing, leaving a charred mark and emitting smoke.
One could only imagine the fate if it had landed on him.
Even if he didn't perish on the spot, he would have lost half his life.
"Your technique is quite potent, but unfortunately, it's not enough to kill me!" Chen Nan said with a hint of regret. "Very well, let me show you my technique!"
With that.
He formed a hand seal.
He cast the Rain Summoning Art.
The Rain Summoning Art required specific weather conditions; it couldn't be cast on a clear day.
It was no different from artificial rain.
And now, with the sky overcast and drizzling, it was the perfect opportunity to cast the Rain Summoning Art.
Whoosh!
Raindrops the size of beans fell from the sky, making a pitter-patter sound.
"That's it?"
Huo Dong burst into laughter, his eyes filled with disdain. "This technique is for farming, not for killing!"
As soon as he spoke.
His laughter abruptly stopped.
He instinctively reached out and touched his right cheek.
Crimson blood stained his palm!
His eyes widened in terror, and he looked up at the sky.
The dense raindrops suspended in mid-air had all transformed into miniature longswords!
"No good!"
Huo Dong cried out.
A strong sense of danger surged within him.
Without a second thought, he instantly released his true qi to cover his entire body.
Then, he formed a hand seal.
And cast the Thunderclap Art again!
However, this time the target was not Chen Nan, but the sword qi gathered in the air that had yet to fall!
Boom boom boom!
Three consecutive bolts of lightning appeared!
Unfortunately!
Before the three lightning bolts could descend, the sky full of sword qi engulfed Huo Dong!
This scene stunned Hai Lao and the other expert.
In their eyes, Huo Dong was already very powerful, but they never imagined that Chen Nan's strength would surpass Huo Dong's.
Recalling their direct conflict with Chen Nan last night.
A wave of fear washed over them!
Thankfully, this gentleman was not a bloodthirsty individual, or they would have been dead already!
"Die, die for me!"
Huo Dong, after all, was a peak fifth-level Qi Refining expert. The sword qi could not break through his protective true qi in a short period.
He drew his long sword and struggled to charge towards Chen Nan, intending to kill him at close range!
"Withered Vine Art!"
Chen Nan's eyes narrowed, and withered vines erupted from the ground, entangling Huo Dong's legs.
"Get lost!"
Huo Dong roared in anger, raising his sword to chop at the withered vines.
Although his long sword was not a magical artifact, it was a fine steel sword. Coupled with the true qi infused into it, one swing turned the withered vines into dust!
As the sword qi formed by the rain disappeared, Huo Dong, panting heavily, looked at Chen Nan. "Is this all you've got? From what I see, it's not much either!"
"I think it's fair to say it looks good but is useless, right?"
A playful smile flickered on Chen Nan's lips. "Do you think I only have these tricks?"
"No matter how many tricks you have, you won't be able to use them!" Huo Dong's voice thundered. He wielded his long sword, and the surging sword qi manifested into a giant lotus.
The lotus, like a millstone, spun rapidly, even distorting the void.
Its momentum was terrifying, its power immense!