Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

The array activated with incredible speed.

In a mere instant, it was active, its inscriptions flaring to life one after another.

Pillar after pillar of fire shot toward the heavens.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Jiang Chen was caught off guard by the relentless assault, and several pillars of fire slammed viciously into him. Their power was immense, and the heat was scorching. The moment they touched his body, they unleashed a devastating force.

Jiang Chen reeled, his body engulfed in flames, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Beating his wings, he dodged into mid-air.

He had finally escaped the onslaught of fiery pillars.

Meanwhile, in the Ice Lake...

Xiaoyou, Little Black, and Little White were trapped within the fiery array. As the flames blazed, the layer of ice began to melt rapidly.

BUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLE!

In the Ice Lake, the Sword-toothed Fish swam about joyfully, their eyes gleaming with a greedy, bloodthirsty light.

SPLASH!

A Sword-toothed Fish shot out from a crack in the ice. It leaped high into the air, its sharp teeth aiming straight for Xiaoyou.

”Die!”

Jiang Chen’s face hardened. With a flicker of his Divine Thought, he struck the fish, killing it instantly.

The Sword-toothed Fish’s eyes rolled back into its head. Jiang Chen had obliterated its soul. It collapsed beside Xiaoyou, its sharp teeth sinking into the ice. ’If that had hit her, it would have torn a chunk of flesh from her body!’

Just then, a furious roar erupted from deep underground. ”Jiang Chen...”

The entire ground began to shake violently.

The ground swelled like a balloon being inflated, bulging higher and higher until cracks began to spiderweb across its surface.

BOOM...

The ground shattered, sending dirt and rock flying.

Shrouded in pulsing black light, Li Ru burst from the ground. His killing intent was palpable, and his blood-red eyes looked ready to devour someone whole.

Rage!

Absolute rage.

Li Ru now resembled a Killing God, his eyes glowing with a cold light as he glared at Jiang Chen, looking as if he wanted to tear him apart with his teeth. ”Excellent,” he roared. ”It seems we all underestimated you. I never thought you’d make use of those four wastes of space. But in the end, you miscalculated. I have long been prepared for this moment. Heh heh heh, how does a taste of the Celestial Fire Burning Original Formation feel?”

Jiang Chen’s face darkened. ”Li Ru, you’re a treacherous bastard.”

”Heh heh heh,” Li Ru sneered coldly. ”Did you think I would move against you without being fully prepared?”

He swiped his palm through the air, and a rift opened in the space before him. Li Ru stepped into it.

When his figure reappeared, he was already in the center of the Ice Lake.

He snatched Xiaoyou by the ankle, hoisting her upside down. Li Ru shot Jiang Chen a glance, a sinister, chilling smile spreading across his face. ”Jiang Chen, you want to save her, don’t you? I’ll wake her up so you can have one last moment together!”

SLAP!

Li Ru slapped Xiaoyou across the face.

”Ugh...”

The pain shocked Xiaoyou awake. Her once pink, chubby cheek was now badly swollen. A few broken teeth flew from her mouth and splashed into the frigid lake water, further agitating the frenzied Sword-toothed Fish. They thrashed their tails and bared their sharp fangs, staring at Xiaoyou with hungry eyes.

”Xiaoyou...”

Jiang Chen’s face contorted, his heart twisting as if being stabbed.

Dazed from the slap, Xiaoyou shook her head to regain her senses. The first thing she saw was Jiang Chen outside the array. She raised her small, chubby hands. ”Brother, brother, save me...”

”Xiaoyou, don’t be afraid! Brother will get you out of there right now!”

Jiang Chen quickly comforted her, his grim gaze turning to Li Ru. ”Li Ru, if you dare to harm another hair on her head, I swear I’ll make you regret ever being born!”

”Hahaha! You’re still making threats at a time like this?” Li Ru laughed, his face a mask of savagery. ”Jiang Chen, it seems you still don’t grasp reality. There is no way you’re leaving here alive today. Open your eyes and watch closely. This is the price for offending me!”

As Jiang Chen watched with eyes that could spit fire, Li Ru grabbed one of Xiaoyou’s arms and plunged it straight into the Ice Lake.

”No...!”

Jiang Chen roared and lunged forward, but the four Human Emperors materialized in front of him, blocking his way.

Besieged by the four Human Emperors, Jiang Chen struggled to fend them off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xiaoyou’s hand dip into the Ice Lake.

The swarming Sword-toothed Fish instantly went into a frenzy. SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH! In a heartbeat, the surface of the Ice Lake was stained crimson.

It was over in an instant.

Li Ru had already pulled Xiaoyou back up. Her left arm was now nothing but bone.

All the flesh had been devoured by the Sword-toothed Fish.

Xiaoyou’s small face contorted in agony. Her once rosy complexion was now deathly pale, but she bit her lip, refusing to scream.

It was as if she was afraid of distracting Jiang Chen.

”Xiaoyou...”

Jiang Chen’s heart felt as if it were being shredded. The sight of Xiaoyou’s devoured arm was like a poison needle stabbing into his very soul, causing him excruciating pain. A terrifying, blood-red light surged in his eyes, and his hair began to float in the air. ”Li Ru... I’ll make sure you die a horrible death!”

”Go on, curse me! The more you curse, the more I enjoy it!”

Li Ru’s smile was pure cruelty. He looked at Xiaoyou, who was now biting her lip so hard it bled. ”Little girl, it must hurt a lot, right? Go on, scream!”

Xiaoyou bit her lip tightly, not saying a word.

Li Ru snorted coldly. ”You shameless brat!”

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

He slapped her across the face again and again, but Xiaoyou remained silent. She would rather die than distract Jiang Chen.

Li Ru’s expression darkened. ”Let’s see just how long you can hold out!”

He grabbed the stump of Xiaoyou’s ravaged arm. He squeezed hard with both hands, forcing a jet of blood to spurt from the wound.

”AAAAAHH...!”

Xiaoyou could no longer bear it and let out a heart-rending scream.

The pain was so intense she passed out.

”Damn, this little bitch is a tough one,” Li Ru muttered, curling his lip.

Outside the array.

Jiang Chen was still trying to break through the four Human Emperors’ blockade when he heard Xiaoyou’s scream. He whipped his head around just in time to see what had happened. His heart felt like it was bleeding, and his entire body trembled...

Rage!

Absolute rage!

’Xiaoyou is only four years old!’

For such an innocent little girl to suffer this torture... All emotion vanished from Jiang Chen’s eyes, leaving only a blood-red glow. A terrifyingly cold aura erupted from him, and a faint breeze began to stir at his feet.

The breeze grew stronger, more violent, until his robes whipped about with a sound like tearing fabric and his long hair thrashed wildly in the gale.

It spread outward in all directions, circle after circle, like ripples on water.

The Spirit-Slaying Sword in Jiang Chen’s hand began to tremble violently, emitting a low hum. His gaze, as cold as the Death God himself, swept across the four Human Emperors and Li Ru. He spoke, enunciating every word. ”Today, none of you will leave this place!”

A heaven-storming killing intent transformed into a terrifying storm that swept through the entire Void Realm...