Dominating the heavens with a single hand.
A Ninth Order Dao Master, the pinnacle of existence on the path of cultivation.
The Divine Kingdom in his palm descended, and all figures within Chen Fan's perception were enveloped by a single hand.
The palm, like leaden clouds, withdrew.
Within his palm, more than a dozen figures struggled.
Chains of the Great Dao materialized, imprisoning the struggling madmen within his palm.
"No Great Emperors."
Chen Fan scanned them and understood.
Great Emperors were core combatants wherever they were. Even if they committed a mistake within a world, it would likely result in a reprimand, imprisonment, or at most, death.
If a Great Emperor were to leave a world, they would take a significant amount of the world's energy and the power of the Great Dao with them.
Heavenly Emperors, however, were of no concern.
But Great Emperors were different.
This was his conjecture, but Chen Fan was almost certain it was correct.
Over ten people, no... before they could regain their senses, they could no longer be called human.
"I must see what the reason is." Da Feng Novel Network
This time, Chen Fan's divine sense split into more than ten parts, his consciousness潜入 (qián rù - infiltrated) into each individual.
With the experience of the previous time, he did not rashly touch the precariously balanced power of the Great Dao and souls.
What he needed to do now was observe.
Chaos.
Everyone was in utter chaos.
Soul fragments scattered within their bodies, clinging to the Great Dao.
Beyond this, there was nothing special.
"What exactly is going on?" he pondered.
Unfortunately, after much thought, he still couldn't figure it out.
It was too complex.
The chaos had taken root within them, and it was impossible to clear.
*Bang!*
One figure exploded.
It was intentional on Chen Fan's part, but the instant this person exploded, his divine sense was unable to shake off the perception of the cause of the explosion.
The physical body had indeed exploded due to an imbalance within.
Within his divine sense perception, something seemed to flash by.
"Huh?"
This small discovery piqued Chen Fan's interest greatly.
How could something that escaped his perception be ordinary?
"I want to see what you are?"
*Bang.*
The second person exploded.
Within his perception, something flashed by again.
However, Chen Fan was prepared this time. The power of the Great Dao pressed down directly.
"Swish."
The thing was too fast; he couldn't catch it.
Interesting.
"Again."
It had been a long time since something had piqued City Lord Chen's interest.
The thing only flashed at the moment the physical body exploded, and then vanished instantly.
"Buzz."
The Heavenly Crown appeared directly: "I want to see how you escape this time."
"Seal."
*Bang.*
The power to seal the void appeared first, and then Chen Fan crushed the physical body of this fifth-order Heavenly Emperor.
Indeed, the thing appeared again.
Under the seal of the void, all things were subdued.
In the absolutely still space, nothing could break the rule of stillness.
"A bug?"
Chen Fan was utterly shocked.
He had imagined anything, but never would he have thought that the thing capable of escaping him was actually a tiny bug.
The bug was flesh-colored, and in its mouth, it held something.
"Come here."
He pulled the flesh-colored bug closer.
The bug, as fine as a strand of hair, held a faint trace of origin power in its mouth.
Soon, Chen Fan frowned.
The person who had just died was of the ice element, while the origin power of the Great Dao the bug held was chaotic, mixed with all sorts of chaotic forces.
"What in the world is this thing?" Chen Fan was immensely curious.
Driven by curiosity, he directly reached out and grabbed the bug.
At that very moment, the power of the void seal disappeared.
*Pfft.*
The bug vanished in his hand with a flash.
The instant it disappeared, the stinging sensation in his flesh made Chen Fan's face turn grim.
"No way?"
Chen Fan was stunned, a vague guess forming in his mind.
If this guess came true, it would be a true terror.
The feeling of the bug colliding with his body was exactly the same as the chaotic energy of the Fifth Land piercing his flesh and soul.
"Shadow."
Chen Fan swallowed, and said in horror, "You say... if all the Great Dao in the Fifth Land were bugs, is this possibility existent?"
This discovery was too shocking.
"Impossible."
Even Shadow's voice turned sharp: "City Lord, your guess is too bold. I think it's impossible..."
Chen Fan: "..."
Yes.
It was too bold.
But... was it really impossible?
The thought of not chaotic energy, but countless microscopic bugs, pouring into his body sent a shiver down Chen Fan's spine.
Even... disgust.
*Bang.*
Thinking of this, he could no longer bear it.
His physical body trembled, expelling the power from within.
*Whoosh.*
The Great Dao flowed through his body, washing it clean.
Hmm... it was clean.
But Chen Fan was still a little uneasy, so he took out the Time Stone he had obtained from Zhan.
He injected the power of the Great Dao into the Time Stone, and it instantly emitted light.
The power of time enveloped Chen Fan, and then... to Chen Fan's terrified gaze, countless bug corpses fell from his Great Dao, internal organs, and even his vital blood, expelling from his body through his pores.
Chen Fan's hair stood on end.
This scene was too astonishing.
These bugs could hide so deeply that even the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, Life and Death, had failed to cleanse them.
He picked up the Time Stone and sighed, "As expected of the chief of all Daos."
Without the Time Stone, the trouble would have been immense.
"Shadow."
Chen Fan was still a bit worried about Shadow, "Try it, see how you feel."
He threw the Time Stone to Shadow.
Shadow caught it and injected the power of the Great Dao.
Then, he calmly shook his head: "Other than losing dozens of days of lifespan, I feel nothing."
Chen Fan: "..."
The absence of bug corpses indicated that Shadow's methods were indeed effective.
Well, that made sense.
Shadow had isolated himself, already belonging to a different space. It was normal that there were no bug corpses within him.
So, what exactly was going on?
If the entire Fifth Land was covered in bugs, how grand a scheme would that be?
To be honest, he had thoughts of retreating.
It was too dangerous.
Huan Zong and others had given a deadline of one month. Leaving the Fifth Land within a month should not be a problem.
As for the specific reasons, he believed he would know when he left.
After pondering for a long time, Chen Fan looked at the figures still trapped in his palm.
Finally, he made a decision.
*Buzz.*
He injected the power of the Great Dao into the Time Stone, and its power instantly enveloped one person.
"Holy crap."
Immediately after, Chen Fan witnessed an even more horrifying scene.
The body of the cultivator enveloped by the Time Stone withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming a mummy, and then even the bones began to rot.
Although he couldn't see the specific reason for the mummification, Chen Fan could imagine it.
The flesh bugs, sensing the aura of death, went berserk instantly, devouring all the essence of the person's flesh and the power of the Great Dao.
They had roamed the chaos for countless years.
The number of flesh bugs within them was likely a number that would bring despair.