The red lock began to vibrate, loosening until it snapped open, as if eager to grant Liu Xing the next stage to immortality. As the seventh lock fell from the silver chain and clattered on the white floor, qi erupted inside his body. It felt like a dam breaking and flooding a small river. The abundant qi forged his body, strengthening his meridians, muscles, bones, tendons, and even his nails. His senses sharpened; his eyes and ears became more acute, and his skin could detect the slightest change in the air currents.

This transformation differed from the usual advancement to the next stage, perhaps because it was the final lock.

Liu Xing grinned as his Lightning Cloak evolved. If he dismissed his invisibility, he would appear surrounded by thousands of blinding lightning bolts. He flexed his lightning blade, feeling it become lighter yet more durable. The qi churned inside him, further strengthening his body.

As he marveled at the taste of the Lock Opening realm's seventh stage, more than a dozen spears closed in to stab him. Several aimed for his back, while others targeted his stomach, chest, and heart. One came within mere centimeters of his forehead.

Liu Xing decided to rotate his body. The lightning blade spun like a clock hand, slashing all the spears and sending their tips flying.

After cutting through all the spears, Liu Xing rotated once more, this time extending his lightning blade further. In one second, it grew from a meter in length to over fifty meters, cutting through hundreds of enemies around him.

When he stopped rotating, all the abominations within a fifty-meter radius split in two. Blood spurted from the cut line, and the top halves of their bodies fell to the ground. Though their eyes were lifeless, Liu Xing imagined they died with surprise.

Once again, Liu Xing stood at the center of carnage. The ground was soaked with blood.

He felt powerful. Strong. As if he could fight forever and still come out on top. Looking around, he saw he had succeeded in destroying half the army. Now, the abomination army was split into two groups: east and west. Each still had hundreds of enemies, but considering the number of corpses around them, Liu Xing assumed he had already won.

He decided to attack the eastern group and jumped toward them at full speed. The enemies, with their animal heads and human hands holding spears, shouted and rushed to meet him.

Liu Xing slashed at them with his lightning blade, when suddenly he sensed strong qi presences approaching.

As his lightning blade cut through hundreds of spirit beasts in one attack, he looked to the side and saw hundreds of abominations walking from the base of a giant castle. Some wore armor and carried spears, others wore black robes with wriggling black hair, and the rest wore green robes with long, yellow nails that resembled blades.

While their shapes were humanoid, they were still abominations. Their faces, devoid of skin and muscles, consisted of hundreds of tiny eyes, mouse noses, or elephant noses sprouting from a bloody base, as if something had ripped off their faces and attached these features.

As the abominations he had slashed split in two, Liu Xing stopped and aimed his gun at this new enemy. The three types of abominations formed three groups, with thousands of abominations marching behind them. Most resembled the army he had just decimated, with animal bodies, human torsos, human right arms, and animal heads and more civilian abominations joined the group and bolstering their numbers.

As they marched, they destroyed everything in their path. Buildings crumbled, and the remains of the previous abominations, along with debris, were trampled by this more organized, numerous, and stronger army. Even the remnants of the first army fell in line with them.

This was the second army of the Twelve Sun Empire, with the Hei clan and Wu clan as well.

Liu Xing's heart began to race. Truth be told, he hadn't felt threatened when decimating the first army, but this second one was something else entirely.

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When he sensed another presence approaching, he turned his head to see Prince Yang Jinyan and his forces rushing toward him. A dozen abominations at the Lock Opening realm's seventh stage blocked their path, but Prince Yang Jinyan inhaled deeply, spat out a giant fireball that exploded on impact, and leapt through the swirling black smoke, followed by the rest of the Yang clan.

Liu Xing spat out the Ethereal Pearl and put it into his spatial bag, then undid his invisibility.

"You've created quite a mess," the prince said, dusting his robes as he walked toward him. "But nonetheless, it's a good mess." He smiled. "Also, congratulations on your advancement. Advancing in the midst of battle is quite a story."

"Thank you," Liu Xing smiled.

His heart was still racing, but calmer now. He had allies to support him.

He turned his head back toward the second army marching toward them in neat rows. Behind the spirit beasts, he saw twelve creatures with a giant eye for a head. They walked unhurriedly, looking like shepherds controlling the army.

"Where's Elder Yang Zhaoyan?" the prince asked. Neat rows began to form behind him and Liu Xing.

"I don't know. Still checking the doors, I think." He had lost track of time, but seeing the sun barely up, it had been perhaps an hour or two since he'd split up with the elder.

The prince nodded and observed the marching army. "Quite a formidable force. Do you think we can win?"

Liu Xing pinched his chin, assessing the army before them. Their numbers were great, with hundreds of Core Splitting abominations in the front rows, and they were organized. While the Core Splitting abominations didn't have lifeless, glassy eyes—since most of them actually didn't have eyes—the rest of the army moved like puppets controlled by unseen masters. This meant their reflexes and movements would not be fluid.

There were no Sun Refining abominations among them, which was probably just a matter of time before they appear, but for now, the strongest were the Core Splitting abominations.

"I think we can win as long as you're supporting me," Liu Xing said resolutely. And he wasn't lying. He had a chance to win against this army. After all, Liu Xing's greatest strength was his gun, a weapon that thrived when fighting against numerous enemies.

"Quite a claim," the prince said. He inhaled deeply, clenched his hand, and his eyes began blazing, as if a fire roared inside his soul. Then he nodded resolutely. "We will help, but when it becomes too dangerous, we need to retreat. Don't forget that our goal is just to cull their numbers." He turned to face his clan members. "You've heard what I said. We will fight, right here and right now!"

"Yes, sir!" A chorus of affirmations echoed through the clan members. Some were pale, but even they had blazing eyes, as if they would carry out the prince's order even in death.

Seeing this, a ferocious grin bloomed on Liu Xing's face. He would be the spearhead to pierce the enemy, while the prince and the rest of the Yang clan would support him.

Prince Yang Jinyan flicked his hand, and a paper talisman appeared.

"Prepare!" the prince shouted, slapping the talisman to the ground.

When the yellow paper hit the ground, a ripple coursed through it. The ground began to tremble, at first weakly, but soon grew stronger until the earth itself groaned, as if a giant writhed in pain beneath the surface. Then, the ground began to crack, and soon, the area around Liu Xing and the Yang clan—at least five hundred meters around them—began to grow taller, lifting them into the sky.

From afar, it looked as if part of the City of Suns had sprouted into a wide, tall, mighty tower. As it grew, the earth groaned and trembled, clouds of dust swirling around it. Then, multiple towers of earth began to grow around it at different heights.

The transformation continued for a full minute. When it stopped, a giant structure stood tall near the center of the City of Suns. One massive tower dominated the middle, surrounded by dozens of smaller towers of varying heights. Their differences in elevation resembled a staircase, allowing people on the ground to climb toward the main tower and those at the top to descend.

Liu Xing's mouth fell open as he gazed at the enormous structure where he stood, at least three hundreds meters tall.

"This isn't a technique that can be used by a Lock Opening cultivator," he muttered.

Prince Yang Jinyan smiled. "Of course not. It's a talisman created by one of our deceased elders. Only a Core Splitting cultivator can activate it."

Liu Xing looked down at the army below. This tower gave them the advantage of high ground. While cultivators had methods to move through the air, not everyone possessed that ability. Some required specific techniques, others needed treasures. Liu Xing doubted the entire army below could fly.

The smaller towers around them could serve as stairs for the army to climb up. For a moment, Liu Xing thought this might be a huge mistake. But he held his opinion, certain there must be some function to the smaller towers. For now, that wasn't his primary concern.

The most important thing for him was to plan his attack, and as he considered his options, his smile grew wider.