A colossal thunderbolt as thick as a water barrel came crashing down at unimaginable speed. It was only at that moment that Luo Chen finally opened his eyes. His hands broke apart from the seal they had been holding—one hand shaping a lotus seal and the other a phoenix seal. Spirit light flared within his eyes as he watched the enormous bolt bear down on him. He drew a deep breath, but not the slightest trace of fear disturbed his expression.

On Dragon Abyss Island, Heavenjade could no longer hold back her panic. "MASTER! USE SOMETHING TO PROTECT YOURSELF!"

Beside her, Sang Jinghe could only stare, completely lost as to what Luo Chen was doing.

Atop Rosy Hill, however, Han Zhan sensed something in Luo Chen's string of unusual actions. A mix of doubt and astonishment flickered across his face, along with a trace of disbelief. But the moment Luo Chen separated his hands and formed two distinct seals, he finally confirmed his suspicion. "What… No fucking way…"

Crack! 

The massive thunderbolt slammed into Luo Chen and shattered the composure he had maintained until now. He let out a low grunt and forcefully suppressed the restless Withering-Flourishing True Fire raging within him. Instead of calling upon an enchanted treasure or raising any form of defense, he chose to take on the strike directly, with his own body.

The lotus seal in his left...