Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Jiang Chen froze.

Gai Shi also stared at Gai Jinlong in bewilderment, not understanding why he had suddenly spoken like that.

Gai Jinlong gave a bitter smile. With a glance, the door swung shut on its own. He walked out from behind the desk and sat down in the Grandmaster’s Chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. TAP, TAP, TAP.

Gai Shi said impatiently, ”Can you just get to the point?”

”You’re just so impatient!”

Gai Jinlong shook his head helplessly. He then looked at Jiang Chen and said gravely, ”Jiang Chen, do you have any idea how many people at this Celestial Secret Banquet want you dead?”

Jiang Chen rubbed his nose, a self-deprecating smile on his face. ”Among the Ten Great Dynasties, I’d estimate over half of them want me dead.”

”It’s not just half!”

Gai Jinlong sighed. ”Besides my Luotian Dynasty, the Celestial Secret Pavilion, the Flying Snow Dynasty, and the Purple Wind Clan, nearly every other power on the entire Eastern Continent wants to take your life!”

At these words, the very air in the room seemed to freeze.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Gai Shi’s eyes widened, and he stared at Jiang Chen as if he were some kind of monster. ”No way. When the hell did you piss off so many people?”

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. ”Even if I had nothing better to do than run around making enemies, I couldn’t possibly have pissed off every power in the Eastern Continent in such a short amount of time, could I?”

”That’s true. Then why do so many people want you dead?” Gai Shi asked, confused.

He looked toward Gai Jinlong.

But Gai Jinlong remained silent, his placid gaze fixed on Jiang Chen, as if waiting for him to answer for himself.

Jiang Chen frowned in thought for a moment. A bitter, helpless smile touched his lips as he looked at Gai Jinlong. ”If I’m not mistaken, someone must have revealed that I possess a Divine-tier Profound Weapon, correct?”

”Mm-hmm.”

Gai Jinlong nodded. ”My Luotian Dynasty has stood strong in the Eastern Continent for tens of thousands of years, always maintaining our position as the number one dynasty. This is partly due to the deterrence of our Ancestor, but more importantly, it is because the Luotian Dynasty possesses two Divine-tier Profound Weapons. If any other Upper Grade Dynasty were to obtain your Divine-tier Profound Weapon, they would gain the power to rival us. Even an ordinary dynasty could ascend to the ranks of the Ten Great Dynasties if they had one. Do you really think they wouldn’t be tempted?”

As the saying goes: humans die for wealth, and birds die for food.

Whether it’s the lofty Upper Grade Dynasties or the ordinary ones, none of them are content with the status quo. If there is even a sliver of a chance to advance, they will fight with all their might to seize it.

Never mind that the one holding the Divine-tier Profound Weapon is Jiang Chen. Even if another Upper Grade Dynasty—one without an Emperor Realm ancestor to back it—held such a weapon, it would undoubtedly incite greed and conflict among all the major powers.

Jiang Chen’s eyes glinted. He looked at Gai Jinlong. ”Sir, can you tell me who spread this information?”

”The one who spread this has been hiding behind the scenes. I only recently discovered that the news first came from the Royal Family of the Profound Celestial Ice Field...” Gai Jinlong said, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen flinched.

’The Royal Family?’

’Then it could only be Bing Qianchi.’

’But...’

’How did Bing Qianchi know I had a Divine-tier Profound Weapon?’

’When I revealed my Divine-tier Profound Weapon, only the Fire Emperor, the Ice Emperor, and Yang Qiong were present. As for the survivors from the Six Mountains Dynasty Imperial Capital, they all died violently during my clash with the Fire Emperor after my bloodline awakening sent me into a frenzy.’

’The Fire Emperor and Yang Qiong want my Divine-tier Profound Weapon for themselves, so they wouldn’t have spread the news.’

’That leaves only one possibility!’

Jiang Chen glanced at Gai Jinlong and uttered two words: ”Ice! Emperor!”

Gai Jinlong nodded. ”As far as I know... the Ice Emperor has regained control of the Profound Celestial Ice Field. Both Bing Qianchi and Wang Shangwu have already pledged their allegiance to him. As for Zifeng Tianhen, he and the entire Purple Wind Clan vanished mysteriously a few months ago. To this day, no one knows their whereabouts.”

’The Purple Wind Clan vanished? What’s going on?’ Jiang Chen thought, alarmed.

’If I had to name my most loyal ally on the Eastern Continent, it would definitely be the Purple Wind Clan.’

’Whether it was Zifeng Tianhen or elders like Yuan Zeng and Yuan Jiu, I had a close relationship with all of them.’

’And now the Purple Wind Clan has mysteriously vanished?’

This made Jiang Chen worry. ’Could it be that they were unwilling to submit to the Ice Emperor, and he annihilated them for it?’

Gai Jinlong seemed to guess Jiang Chen’s thoughts and shook his head. ”Don’t worry, the Ice Emperor never had a chance to move against the Purple Wind Clan. From what I know, they had already vanished as a clan before the Ice Emperor finished reunifying the Profound Celestial Ice Field. The Ice Emperor even went to Purple Wind City himself, only to find it completely empty. He destroyed the city in a fit of rage, and now he’s also searching for the Purple Wind Clan’s whereabouts.”

”I see. I just hope the Purple Wind Clan is safe,” Jiang Chen said with a nod.

Gai Shi gave a bitter smile. ”How can you be worried about other people? Don’t you realize how dangerous your own situation is? I’m telling you, if we hadn’t been through life and death together—if I wouldn’t be too embarrassed to make a move on you—even I would be tempted to steal your treasures. You’re a walking treasure vault!”

Despite his words, Gai Shi’s eyes held only worry, not a trace of greed.

He was genuinely concerned about Jiang Chen’s perilous situation.

Jiang Chen’s heart warmed. He smiled and shook his head. ”In all these years, has there ever been a shortage of people who want me dead? Treat me like a walking treasure vault? Kill me for my treasures? Heh, we’ll see if they have what it takes.”

Gai Shi and Gai Jinlong exchanged a glance.

After the battle of the Profound Celestial Ancestor Realm, they had gathered intelligence on Jiang Chen. They knew just how arduous his journey had been.

It could be described as cheating death at every turn.

”To remain calm even as Mount Tai crumbles before you... Young man, your future is limitless. They certainly won’t make a move before the Celestial Secret Banquet is over. Afterward, you will accompany me to the Luotian Dynasty. I refuse to believe they would dare try to rob you on my home ground!” Gai Jinlong declared with overwhelming authority.

He emanated an aura of absolute, sovereign authority.

This was the confidence and bearing befitting the number one expert on the Celestial Venerable List.

Jiang Chen gave him a grateful look.

However, he had no intention of going to the Luotian Dynasty after the Celestial Secret Banquet. ’I trust Gai Shi not to covet my treasures, but what about Gai Jinlong? What about the other experts of the Luotian Dynasty?’

’Who could guarantee they wouldn’t also covet my treasures and plot against me?’

’One can never be too careful.’

A moment of silence descended upon the room.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the voice of a Luotian Dynasty expert came from outside the door. ”Your Majesty, an envoy from the Celestial Secret Pavilion has arrived. They invite Your Majesty to the Celestial Lake for the banquet!”

”Acknowledged.”

Gai Jinlong nodded. He then looked at Jiang Chen and Gai Shi with a smile. ”Let’s go. The Celestial Secret Ancestor has prepared a grand feast for this Celestial Secret Banquet. We shouldn’t keep our host waiting.”

The two of them followed close behind...