Rise of the Sword Son-in-Law

Chapter 271: If Heaven Blocks My Path, I Will Cut Down Heaven

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Xu Ping’an was unaware of the thoughts of the elders hidden in the shadows—his entire being was focused on the stele before him.

As he approached the stele, he suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure from heaven and earth.

With each step Xu Ping’an took, it seemed as if heaven and earth were about to burst asunder.

A mighty force struck directly at his soul origin.

At the same time, heaven and earth became like a swamp, trapping Xu Ping’an deeper and deeper.

With every step forward, the deeper he sank.

The space around the stele seemed twisted and the inscriptions on it became indistinct.

Yet Xu Ping’an hadn’t even reached the hundred-meter radius, he was merely experiencing the outer reaches of the stele’s influence.

Once truly within a hundred meters of the stele, the true power of its domain would be a terrifying force to behold.

"It appears he has nothing special about him; he’s already faltering before even entering the hundred-meter range," someone remarked.

The others nodded in agreement, believing Xu Ping’an was unaware of the stele’s terror.

The level of strength was already far beyond what a Cultivator below the Seventh Rank could endure.

Luo Tianhe wore a faint smile on his face.

Even with his Sixth Rank Peak cultivation and strength that had slain Seventh Rank Experts, he could not step within the hundred-meter range.

And if one cannot step into the range, they cannot discern the content on the stele—that was an ironclad rule.

Even after stepping into the hundred-meter range, one might not be able to see the inscriptions on the stele. The reason for this, even Luo Tianhe did not know.

Qin Mu shook his head slightly, feeling a hint of disappointment at the moment.

"Indeed, I was too impatient. After all, Brother Xu is merely at the Fifth Rank. The power of the stele surpasses the limits he can withstand," Qin Mu sighed.

"No, if he has set out to do it, then he must succeed," however, Li Qingyi, who was beside him, spoke up, her eyes filled with an unwavering conviction.

Qin Mu was taken aback and wanted to explain something.

But seeing Li Qingyi’s resolute gaze, he said no more.

He did not know why Li Qingyi had such faith in Xu Ping’an, but the power of the Heavenly Stele was truly terrifying, even his father had only managed to reach a distance of seventy-six meters, and had only discerned a single character on the stele.

If Xu Ping’an truly succeeded, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation in the entire imperial capital.

The outcome would not be any less significant than his achievement of placing first in the Holy Refinement.

At this moment, Xu Ping’an had no mind to care about what others were thinking, all his will was focused on resisting the pressure of heaven and earth.

His soul had reached the peak of multitasking, yet still, he felt as if his soul power was about to be crushed by this terrifying heavenly pressure.

It had to be said, this pressure from heaven and earth was indeed fearsome.

Let alone his soul power that had not yet condensed into form, even if it had, it could not withstand this terrifying pressure.

"This pressure seems to stem from the Dao Laws of heaven and earth, and not just one, but at least a hundred. It seems the stele carries many of the Dao Laws of heaven and earth, so the space within a hundred meters around the stele is twisted by the fearsome Dao Laws, and the closer you get to the stele, the stronger the pressure from these Dao Laws," Xu Ping’an thought to himself.

The more he thought about it, the more horrified he became.

A Divine Object containing hundreds, maybe thousands of Dao Laws?

Understanding one Law could elevate one to the Tenth Rank, making them a Primordial Immortal.

But now, the stele housed many Laws; how could this not make Xu Ping’an’s scalp tingle?

"The inscriptions on this stele are likely manifestations of Dao Laws—perhaps each character represents one Law. What kind of Divine Object could this be? If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean the academy can mass-produce Primordial Immortal Level powerhouses?" Xu Ping’an speculated.

The more he thought, the more shocked he became.

The stele was too frightening.

If his speculations were true, it would be the most terrifying Divine Object he had ever encountered.

Lost in thought, Xu Ping’an took another step forward,

But as he did, he sensed the pressure around him increasing substantially.

His mind felt as though it was exploding with unbearable pain.

At this point, he was roughly one hundred and three meters away from the stele.

"It seems he won’t be able to step within the hundred-meter range—it looks like he can’t even reach its threshold," another person sighed.

Those who had still held on to the hope that Xu Ping’an might create a miracle were also disappointed.

Clearly, they could all see that Xu Ping’an was approaching his limit.

And the boundary of a hundred meters represented a qualitative leap—how could Xu Ping’an possibly enter that range?

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"So this is the number one in the Imperial City’s Holy Refinement, nothing more than this, lacking strength and still arrogantly overestimating oneself, truly pathetic," Luo Tianhe continued to mock.

He didn’t want Xu Ping’an to give up just like that.

If Xu Ping’an gave up now, his soul wouldn’t be hurt.

If he continued to forge ahead stubbornly, then there would be a good show to watch.

"Luo Tianhe, don’t go too far," Qin Mu immediately reprimanded sharply.

He could clearly see through Luo Tianhe’s intentions.

Xu Ping’an obviously couldn’t continue, yet Luo Tianhe deliberately provoked him, evidently harboring ill intent.

Li Qingyi also looked towards Luo Tianhe with a cold and piercing chill in her eyes.

However, she didn’t stop Xu Ping’an because she believed that Xu Ping’an was definitely not a reckless person; he must have his own purpose.

Qin Mu was somewhat anxious and wanted to stop him but was hindered by Li Qingyi, so he had no choice but to continue watching.

Xu Ping’an naturally heard Luo Tianhe’s mockery, but he completely ignored it as if it were wind beside his ears.

He was now deep in thought.

If the stele bore the Dao Laws of heaven and earth, then with his current realm, it truly was impossible for him to step into the domain of the Dao Laws.

Not to mention himself, the vast majority of Eighth Rank, and even Ninth Rank might not be able to achieve it.

But to just give up was not in Xu Ping’an’s nature.

"It seems I have no choice but to stake it all," Xu Ping’an murmured to himself.

If the stele was a divine object, then naturally only a divine object could contend with it.

The pressure of heaven and earth might be formidable, but it wasn’t invincible.

"So what if heaven and earth suppress me, I, Xu Ping’an, will neither submit to heaven nor earth. If the rules of heaven and earth press down on me, then I will slay those rules, and if heaven obstructs me, I shall cut down heaven," a sharp and unstoppable aura surged in Xu Ping’an’s eyes.

The next moment, a soul figure that looked exactly like Xu Ping’an condensed in his mind.

However, this soul figure was holding a sword, the very Thunder Devouring Sword that had been hidden inside him all this time.

"Cut!"

The soul figure roared fiercely.

A single sword strike.

Heaven and earth shattered.

The oppressive force of the Laws was split open like a wave.

At that moment, everyone felt as if heaven and earth had fragmented, creating a massive vacuum of Laws.

And in the instant that vacuum of Laws appeared, Xu Ping’an took a step out.

One step spanned ten meters, and in an instant, he was within a hundred meters of the stele.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

What happened?

What exactly did Xu Ping’an do?

They only saw Xu Ping’an’s eyes suddenly erupt with a terrifying brilliance, and then heaven and earth seemed torn asunder, then Xu Ping’an had advanced a full ten meters.

At the same time, in the deepest void of the academy, an old man that looked like a withered tree suddenly opened his eyes.

His originally lifeless eyes burst with an unprecedented brilliance that pierced through the void, as if seeing through it, directly landing on the stele, and finally on Xu Ping’an.

"Eh?"

The old man let out a sound of puzzled surprise, as if he had discovered something earth-shatteringly significant.

Meanwhile, deep within the Imperial Palace of the capital city, a middle-aged man in a dragon robe also suddenly looked up, shocked towards the direction of the academy.

"Someone has broken into the Divine Stele of Heaven and Earth? Who is it?" the Sovereign of Great Qin was full of amazement.

The elders in the shadows were even more astonished beyond measure.

However, Xu Ping’an only stayed within that hundred-meter radius for an instant before a terrifying force ejected him out.

"Pfft!"

Xu Ping’an was flung a hundred meters away, crashing into the stone wall, which exploded upon impact, leaving him seriously injured.

Yet on Xu Ping’an’s face was a hint of a smile.