Mu Chen stood still as he gazed at the numerous imprints on the surface of the black stone tablet. It was as if he could feel the innumerable powerful figures who once stood here, as they condensed all the strength of their physical bodies, dealing their strongest blows.
It was said that in those primordial times, there were once powerful characters who lit all nine bronze lamps, which really amazed Mu Chen. Of course, he also knew that the man who could ignite the nine bronze lamps must have surpassed all of them in strength, or even very likely must have been an Eighth or Ninth Grade Sovereign.
Coupled with the ancient powers of the Land of the Divine Beasts that could strengthen the physical body, many of the most powerful characters in the Land of the Divine Beasts were extremely strong, and Mu Chen had no doubt that they had been able to light nine bronze lamps.
Moreover, ever since the Land of the Divine Beasts had been shattered, only a handful of the supreme talents who had entered the land to find opportunities had been able to light the nine bronze lamps on the fourth floor of the Body-refining Tower.
Those people were illustrious talents in that generation, and even the supreme talents of various clans dimmed in comparison.
As for lighting the nine lamps, Mu Chen also knew how terribly difficult it was. Even Han Shan, who was strong and had expended all his power, had barely lit the seventh lamp, which was a far cry from lighting all nine lamps.
Thus, even though Mu Chen could not estimate what results he could achieve, no matter what, this time he would certainly go all out in order to break through to the second level of the Dragon-Phoenix Scriptures in this Body-refining Tower!
Phew.
Mu Chen's mind gradually calmed down. He took a deep breath, and his fists clenched tightly amid countless gazes.
A faint golden light began to emanate from Mu Chen's body. His skin, however, seemed as if rendered from gold, and with the passage of time, it grew darker and darker, like a statue of gold sculpted from a long time ago.
He activated the Dragon-Phoenix Body and gradually extricated all the power from the depths of his flesh and blood. This time, he wanted to fully exert the power of the Dragon-Phoenix Body to its limit!
Not far away, Zong Teng, Han Shan, and Ink Blade looked at Mu Chen. Their eyes were all narrowed. They could detect that Mu Chen, who was just standing there, emanated a heavy aura of oppression.
It felt as if a towering mountain stood in heavens and earth.
With the gradual activation of the Dragon-Phoenix Body to the extreme, the real dragon and phoenix runes on Mu Chen's arms quivered. Then, the roar of a dragon and the cry of a phoenix rang from his body. His flesh vibrated as the power within his body began to increase at an alarming rate.
The roar of a dragon and cry of a phoenix grew louder and clearer, as the vibration became more and more rapid. Mu Chen's flesh gradually began boiling in that vibration. The real dragon and phoenix runes on Mu Chen's arms became scorching hot like a soldering iron.
His breath grew heavier as the gold light in his eyes glowed, for the strength of his body at this time had gathered to a rather terrible degree. This force was more powerful than before when he had injured Lu Sui!
Han Shan and the two others looked at that figure as the golden light emanated from him, and their gazes grew solemn. That kind of golden light was not transformed from spiritual energy, but from the agglomeration of energy and blood in Mu Chen's body. To their surprise, however, the light of Mu Chen's blood and energy was rather strange and seemed to contain a kind of fluctuation that they felt was rather oppressive.
"I didn't expect that with the strength of a Sixth Grade Sovereign, he could condense it with such a terrible momentum…" Han Shan's sharp gaze focused on Mu Chen. Although he had never underestimated Mu Chen, he also had not expected his ability to be so outstanding. He had a hunch that with Mu Chen's strike, he would at least surpass Zong Teng, Ink Blade, and maybe… even him!
This man was not simple.
However, Mu Chen did not sense Han Shan and the others' solemn glances. The blood and flesh in his body were boiling. He found that he was seemingly shielded from outside movement, and he was alone in this whole wide world.
This state allowed Mu Chen to condense all his energy and spirit to their peak.
Like the golden essence of the light that had materialized, it spewed out of Mu Chen's eyes. The strength of his body had reached its peak, and even the body's flesh and bones were sending out a faint tingling of pain.
Those were the signs of reaching the limit.
Since he had reached the limit, then it was time to strike!
Mu Chen's expression was calm. His right hand clenched, and then he dealt a fierce punch with his fist.
At the same time, the real dragon and phoenix runes swam on his right arm as they circled together. The purple gold light radiated, and the golden claws of the dragon and the phoenix spread out, covering Mu Chen's fist.
Roar!
The moment the blow struck, the loud and clear roar of the dragon and cry of the phoenix were no longer concealed by Mu Chen's body as they reverberated and resounded in the ancient square.
Han Shan, Ink Blade, and Zong Teng's bodies froze stiffly, as they could detect a terrible pressure frantically sweeping out of Mu Chen's body.
That kind of pressure made their blood tremble.
That was the suppression of a bloodline!
However, this suppression caused the three to be in immense disbelief, because their own bloodlines belonged to higher-ranking bloodlines and were at the top of the Land of the Divine Beasts. Now, the pressure emanating from Mu Chen's body resulted in the suppression of a bloodline?
Only a Sovereign Divine Beast's Sovereign Bloodline could make this possible!
Mu Chen's fist looked as if it had been cast from gold with the real dragon and phoenix runes wrapped around it. In one heart-stopping moment, that fist detonated the space, finally carrying layers of gold ripples as it landed brutally on the black stone tablet.
Crash!
At the moment of bombardment, they could clearly feel that the whole ancient square was shaking. Even the firm black stone tablet, which had always been as stable as a rock, seemed to quiver slightly.
Han Shan and the others' glances were transfixed on Mu Chen's fist and the black stone tablet's point of contact, and then their eyes sharply narrowed.
Where the golden ripples spread from the impact, Mu Chen's fist split open. Blood spattered out, even vaguely showing his bones, which demonstrated that Mu Chen's punch had been so strong, that even his body found it unbearable, and the force of the countershock directly shattered his fist.
However, even though his fist was spattered with blood and his bones revealed, Mu Chen showed no sign of stopping. Instead, he roared, and all the power in his body surged out madly from his fist.
The golden ripples emanated from Mu Chen's fist as they swept the entire stone tablet's surface.
The ancient ground under his feet also silently cracked.
Buzz!
Under the terrifying impact, Han Shan and the others suddenly saw that above the stone tablet, there was a flame that appeared in the bronze lamp, and the sound of flames igniting rang continuously.
The bronze lamps were quickly lit!
In a short moment, six bronze lamps lit up at the same time!
After the sixth bronze lamp was lit, sparks began to emerge rapidly in the seventh bronze lamp and finally, with a burst of shock from countless gazes, it lit up.
"I can't believe it. He lit the seventh bronze lamp!" In the Body-refining Tower, the sound of exclamations rang through, and all the powerful characters were in disbelief, for Mu Chen had lit the seventh bronze lamp faster than Han Shan!
Han Shan's expression also changed. He then fixed his glance on the eighth bronze lamp, and though it was dark, he felt vaguely that Mu Chen's power was not finished.
As Han Shan stared at it, the eighth lamp remained dark for a few moments, but sparks finally emerged…
Upon seeing the sparks, Ink Blade and Zong Teng immediately could not help but inhale in shock. Mu Chen's power actually caused sparks to emerge in the eighth bronze lamp?!
This was something that even Han Shan had failed to accomplish!
Drip.
Blood dripped down from Mu Chen's fist. The bones could vaguely be seen, but he was motionless. Beneath the golden fist, golden light rippled as the impact surged madly into the black stone tablet.
Whoosh!
In the eighth bronze lamp, a weak spark began to emerge. Then a second spark… then a third spark…
The sparks began to emerge amid Han Shan and the others' widened eyes. They finally converged and with a poof, turned into flames.
The eighth bronze lamp was lit!
At this point, they looked at the burning eighth bronze lamp in utter disbelief, and then looked at the rock-like young figure in front of the stone tablet. Their inner shock was evident.
Who would have thought that Mu Chen could actually succeed in lighting the eighth bronze lamp?!
How terrifying was the power in his fist?!
That kind of power... even they had to expend all their force to deal with it.
It turned silent both inside and outside the Body-refining Tower the moment the eighth bronze lamp was lit.
However, even as they were speechless because of shock, standing before the black stone tablet, Mu Chen's golden eyes stared at the stone tablet as he ignored the sharp pain from his fists. His mind, too, was a little empty because of the ultimate force he had expended.
However, his instincts told him that this was not over!
He could vaguely feel that he could control the power of his previous punch that surged into the black stone tablet, as if it were a strange force.
If it erupted, this force would cause a more alarming amount of destruction.
Maybe even the ninth bronze lamp could be lit!
The golden light spurted out from Mu Chen's eyes and without any hesitation, he pressed his fist hard on the stone tablet, and then a hoarse voice gurgled from his throat.
"Erupt!"