X-Dragon Era

Now, rather than saying Xin Yun is attacking, it would be more accurate to say that Xin Yun is using his own Thunderbolt capabilities to invoke the Thunderbolt Force of nature and attack his enemies.

At this moment... after long-term brewing, the clouds above have accumulated a terrifying amount of Thunderbolt Force, and with just a small trigger, it will come crashing down—a force that no human power can contend against.

To illustrate, imagine the hundred-mile-wide cloud cluster as a reservoir. The Thunderbolt Force in the cloud would be equivalent to the water in the reservoir. Even an ordinary person could breach the dam and unleash the reservoir's flood to overwhelm everything!

Though Xin Yun has only recently reached the Diamond Ten Stars level, compared to the other eight participants in this competition, he is practically an amateur. However, when it comes to understanding and comprehending the Dao, the situation is reversed. Due to the unique nature of Thunderbolt, Xin Yun can almost effortlessly channel the Thunderbolt Force from the cloud clusters.

Of course, at this point, it's essential to mention the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag, which truly serves as the crux of this matter. The reason he was able to condense a cloud cluster covering a hundred miles and rotate it, generating such a vast amount of Thunderbolt Force, stems entirely from the influence of this flag. Without it, given Xin Yun's current strength, even with ten times the time, he would have been unable to accomplish such an immense setup—and in terms of scale and power, he would be a hundred times, even a thousand times weaker!

After instantly defeating two top-tier opponents and confiscating two Super Magical Treasures, Xin Yun smiled and calmly floated mid-air, allowing the remaining six competitors to flee. Since the championship was already his, there was no need for unnecessary slaughter. While Xin Yun wasn't opposed to killing, he didn't particularly enjoy it either. If it can be avoided, let it be avoided.

Under Xin Yun's leniency, the remaining six masters fled frantically out of the competition area. Only after exiting did they finally relax, glancing back to see the endless black clouds above, with streaks of lightning darting through and Thunderbolts roaring furiously—a doomsday-like scene that sent chills down their spines!

As time went on, the massive cloud cluster in the sky began dispersing after losing Xin Yun's command. The crackling sound of Thunderbolt gradually subsided as well. Simultaneously, the first round of the global championship officially came to a close, and the world's number one champion was born!

There's no need to elaborate on what followed. After winning the championship, Xin Yun promptly collected the symbolic crown of the champion and a Diamond Fruit, and then, without another word, he left the competition grounds.

After leaving the venue, Xin Yun immediately returned to Celestial River Abyss and handed the Diamond Fruit to Luo Fu. Upon consuming the Diamond Fruit, Luo Fu would reach Diamond Ten Stars in the shortest possible time, allowing him to participate in either the second or third rounds of the competition.

As the world's strongest champion, Xin Yun wasted no time. He returned to Heavenly River Abyss and began his secluded training. This competition proved highly rewarding for Xin Yun, especially the acquisition of the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag. Xin Yun needed to dedicate significant time to fully grasp the workings of this flag so that he could wield it with precision. During the competition, had Xin Yun been able to masterfully control the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag, his opponents wouldn't have had even a sliver of a chance.

After a year of continuous seclusion, Xin Yun finally achieved a preliminary understanding of the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag. In truth, the flagship's primary function is to amplify and enhance Xin Yun's various combat techniques and abilities. As one of the Five Celestial Flags, second only to the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag will continue to grow stronger as Xin Yun's strength improves.

Although the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag cannot directly control lightning, it can generate lightning by manipulating water—a critical aspect. Once an immense amount of Thunderbolt Force is accumulated, all Xin Yun has to do is guide it using his own Thunderbolt power, unleashing an attack with heaven-and-earth-level supremacy. In that moment... Xin Yun commands the world itself!

Time in cultivation passed unnoticed. Originally, Xin Yun intended to keep training to store energy and, more importantly, to comprehend the laws inherent in the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag. Unfortunately, a sudden and emergent event interrupted Xin Yun's practice.

Through the Tai Chi Diagram, Xin Yun quickly learned what happened. Just yesterday, after him being in seclusion for a year and three months, over ten thousand cities under the Sky-opening Sect suffered a massive assault from foreign forces. In just one day, over a hundred cities' banking facilities were completely annihilated. Although the financial losses were minimal—almost nonexistent—the casualties were immense. After all… not everyone can be immortal.

According to the information passed on by Chu Rui, within a single day, over a hundred banks in ultra-large cities were entirely destroyed. Since there had been no prior warning, no one was prepared. None of the staff inside the banks had a chance to escape; every single one was ruthlessly slaughtered.

Upon hearing this news, a tide of fury surged within Xin Yun's chest. Who… who dared to provoke him in such an outrage?

Having received the information, Xin Yun had no choice but to cease his cultivation. Through the Tai Chi Diagram, he immediately returned to Celestial River Abyss. This situation had to be resolved; otherwise, it would greatly affect the banking plan, which was pivotal to Xin Yun's ultimate goal.