Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Before long...

A clamor arose in the distance as a group of six people rapidly gave chase.

All six were dressed in the attire of the Jiang Family—they were Jiang Clan Members!

The leader was an eighteen-year-old youth. His features were quite handsome, with full red lips and pearly white teeth, but his shiny, bald head was rather jarring.

The young man’s name was Jiang Rulong!

He was one of Jiang Ziyou’s most loyal followers, and his talent and cultivation were both considerable.

Not only had he awakened a Yellow Tier Ninth Grade Martial Soul, but his cultivation had also reached the Martial Arts Sixth Stage, making him one of the top experts among the Jiang Family’s younger generation!

Jiang Rulong had joined the hunt to help Jiang Ziyou capture a sufficient number of Demon Beasts. Having sensed the commotion of a battle in this direction, he had rushed over. But what he found was the massive, severed head of a Nine-Clawed Demon Chapter, and Jiang Chen, standing with a sword in hand, watching him with a strange smile.

Jiang Rulong’s eyes narrowed, and a look of delight spread across his face. ”Hahaha, Jiang Chen! So this is where you were hiding. No wonder we couldn’t find you after searching for half the day!”

”Looking for me?”

Jiang Chen paused, frowning at him.

The men behind Jiang Rulong automatically fanned out, surrounding Jiang Chen. Jiang Rulong’s face twisted into a savage grin.

”You provoked Ziyou time and time again. Did you think she’d let you off so easily? She already sent us to search for you. Ziyou promised that anyone who provides a clue to your whereabouts will be rewarded with one thousand gold coins. Anyone who can cripple you will gain her support to become the next Patriarch’s heir! Of course...”

Jiang Rulong ran his scarlet tongue over the corner of his mouth, his expression a mixture of coldness and greed. ”But what tempts me most is the final offer. If I kill you, Ziyou will take me with her to the Saint Martial Sword Sect. Even if I only become a menial disciple there, it’s better than being the Patriarch of some minor family in little old Yandu City. Jiang Chen, we’re fellow clansmen. You’ll help me achieve this, won’t you?”

”Yeah, Jiang Chen, just make a little sacrifice and help Boss Rulong out!”

”’A fragrance lingers on the hand that gives roses.’ We’ll remember your noble sacrifice!”

The men with Jiang Rulong all chimed in.

Every face wore a savage, triumphant expression as they stared at Jiang Chen like tigers watching their prey.

Jiang Chen’s eyes narrowed as fury surged within him. ’Tsk, tsk. ”The deadliest poison is a woman’s heart,” indeed. Jiang Ziyou, I was going to deal with you later, but since you’re so impatient... I guess I can’t wait any longer either. It’s time to start my plan for revenge. Hmm, and I’ll start with Jiang Rulong!’

At this moment, Jiang Chen had completely given up on the Jiang Family.

From beginning to end, he had never wronged anyone in the Jiang Family. Yet, whether it was Jiang Ziyou and her father, Elder Jiang Ming, or Jiang Rulong and his cronies, they were all eager to take his life for their own selfish desires.

Even the most good-natured person has their limits!

Besides, Jiang Chen had never been a soft-hearted person to begin with.

If others don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke them!

But if they provoke me, I will pay them back a hundred, even a thousand times over!

Jiang Chen slowly raised his head, a cold smile touching his lips as he stared at Jiang Rulong and the others. ”Sorry, but while my father taught me from a young age to enjoy helping others, in my eyes, you beasts who would harm your own clansmen for selfish gain don’t count as people. Oh, my mistake. Calling you beasts is an insult to beasts!”

”What?”

”You piece of trash, you dare call us worse than beasts?”

”Damn you, trash! Do you really think you’re invincible just because you made it thirty zhang up the Zhenjiang Stele? Even the special envoy said that many factors can influence the Zhenjiang Stele, and it’s not a true measure of strength!”

Jiang Rulong’s face was contorted with rage, his eyes blazing with fury. ”Brothers, secure the perimeter! Don’t let this trash escape! Watch how I’ll crush this arrogant bastard!”

Before his words had even faded, Jiang Rulong shot forward like a cannonball, appearing before Jiang Chen in an instant.

”Take my blade—Autumn Wind Slash!” Jiang Rulong roared, gripping his gleaming Battle Blade with both hands and bringing it down on Jiang Chen’s head.

As he swung the blade, it unleashed a dazzling glint.

The light from the blade was brilliant and incredibly sharp.

The air itself seemed to split before the blade’s edge, creating a sharp WHOOSHING sound. Bits of mud splattering through the air were shredded by the wind from the Battle Blade’s passage. Its momentum was as swift as the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves—its power was immense!

”Boss Rulong has already cultivated his Autumn Wind Slash to the Perfection Realm! He can slice through ten falling leaves with a single strike. It’s incredibly powerful!”

”There’s no way Jiang Chen can block it!”

”It’ll be over in a single strike!”

The men who had come with Jiang Rulong spoke with confidence, crossing their arms and chatting leisurely.

Not a single one of them had any faith in Jiang Chen.

But in the next instant...

The smiles and nonchalant expressions on their faces crumbled, vanishing without a trace.

Facing Jiang Rulong’s powerful attack, Jiang Chen remained motionless. Only when the blade was upon him, just about to slice off his head, did he move. The hand hanging at his side shot up, and a sharp CLANG of metal on metal rang out.

The triumphant, savage sneer on Jiang Rulong’s face froze. His pupils gradually widened as a look of astonishment spread across his features. ”H-How is this possible?”

His blade...

...was caught firmly between Jiang Chen’s index and middle fingers, unable to move an inch!

”Holy shit, am I seeing things?”

”How is that possible? Even a Tier One Intermediate Demon Beast wouldn’t dare to block Boss Rulong’s strike head-on! How could Jiang Chen stop it with just two fingers?”

”It must be an illusion...”

Everyone was stunned.

Jiang Chen clicked his tongue and sighed, shaking his head. ”With such meager skills, you thought you could kill me and earn a ticket to the Saint Martial Sword Sect?” he said faintly.

”Bastard, how dare you insult me?” Jiang Rulong roared in anger.

Jiang Chen shook his head. ”Insult you? Sorry, I don’t have the time or interest. Well, I’ve said what I needed to say. After I send you on your way, I can go find Jiang Ziyou and settle the score!”

Before Jiang Rulong could react, Jiang Chen’s hand moved with the speed of lightning, snatching the Battle Blade away. With a flick of the wrist, the blade turned, and a sharp SWISH cut through the air.

An arrow of blood flew, and a crimson torrent gushed from Jiang Rulong’s neck.

”Urk... urgh...”

Jiang Rulong clutched his neck with both hands, blood streaming between his fingers. He watched the young man’s figure walk past him, his heart filled with regret. ’S-So he wasn’t trash... If... if... if I had known... w-why did I have to provoke him...?’

THUD!

His body fell, turning into a cold corpse lying in a pool of blood.

Seeing this, the other five were scared out of their wits. If someone as strong as Jiang Rulong couldn’t even withstand a single move from Jiang Chen, what chance did they have?

”Spare us!”

”Boss Jiang Chen, spare us! We were wrong! We’ll never dare to be your enemy again...”

”Please let us go! Just treat us like a fart and let us go...”

The five knelt on the ground, begging for their lives.

Jiang Chen said coolly, ”Tell me where Jiang Ziyou is!”

”If I tell you where Miss Ziyou is, will you let me live?” one of them asked nervously.

A cold glint of the sword was his answer.

Jiang Chen pierced the man’s heart with his sword and said flatly, ”You’re not qualified to negotiate with me!” His indifferent gaze fell upon the remaining four.

”I’ll talk! I’ll talk...”

”Miss Ziyou and the young masters of the Lin Family and Chen Family found traces of a large number of Demon Beasts! They’re tracking them toward the ruins of the Ancient River City...” one of them quickly explained.

Jiang Chen nodded. ”The ruins of the Ancient River City, you say? I understand.”

Ancient River City. Legend had it that ten thousand years ago, it was a prosperous city, but it was submerged in the river of time, covered by the waters of the Yulan River.

It had become a ruin.

Only around the time of the Yulan Festival, when the waters of the Yulan River recede, does it reappear!

”W-We’ve told you where the young miss is. Can we go now?” the four asked, looking at Jiang Chen nervously.

Jiang Chen glanced at them and said coolly, ”Go? Jiang Rulong is waiting for you in the Yellow Springs. Where do you think you’re going? You might as well go to Hell and keep him company!”

With a single sword strike, four brilliant, blood-red flowers bloomed, and four lives were taken at the same time.

Looking at the five cold corpses on the ground, Jiang Chen’s expression was serene. ”Those who kill will themselves be killed. The moment you decided to kill me, your fates were sealed. Don’t blame me for being ruthless; I’m simply following the law of survival in this world!”

Jiang Chen tightened his grip on his sword. Having slain that Nine-Clawed Demon Chapter, his figure flashed, and he sped off toward the ruins of the Ancient River City...

’Ancient River City ruins... Jiang Ziyou... I’m coming for you...’