Sovereign of the Three Realms

There was shock and only more shock in Zhou Yi’s heart. He knew that if this continued, his defenses would last less than 15 minutes.

Indeed, the fresh blood spraying after several attacks landed on him incited the Swordbirds’ violent nature. Once stirred up, their attacks grew even fiercer and more berserk.

“Senior brother Iron, come help me!”

Zhou Yi was panicked. He knew he couldn’t hold on for much longer. His defenses would quickly falter if he continued like this and he would become their food.

Iron Dazhi was also greatly astonished when he heard Zhou Yi’s cry for help.

He’d already be hard pressed to explain the loss of the law enforcement disciples after returning to the sect. If an earth spirit realm genius like Zhou Yi were to also fall in a mundane kingdom, then he’d be further troubled and tongue-tied once he returned.

Zhou Yi was his uncle Iron Can’s most vaunted personal disciple. He would surely suffer his uncle’s wrath if Zhou Yi died.

He could only resign his battle with Jiang Chen and make haste for the battle formation.

He waved his Black Dragon Halberd and swung it viciously towards a team of three Swordbirds.

If Jiang Chen didn’t interfere, then the situation might have truly been reversed if Iron Dazhi and Zhou Yi acted in concert.

After all, these Swordbirds had just set foot into the spirit rank and hadn’t consolidated their training yet.

However, how could Jiang Chen let Iron Dazhi carry out his wishful thinking?

He pointed the nameless blade, and the blade’s aura thundered forth like the rivers of the heavens reversing their direction following close behind Iron Dazhi.

Iron Dazhi felt an overwhelming pressure weighing down on him, leaving him no choice but to sweep with his halberd as he turned around to defend himself.

Clang.

He continuously backed up beneath the strength of this stroke.

He had been at disadvantage in taking down this stroke as he hadn’t been fully prepared.

Therefore, even though his level of training was vastly superior to Jiang Chen’s, he still came off worse for the wear beneath Jiang Chen’s staggering strike.

“Jiang Chen, you…”

Jiang Chen’s face was like an frosty mountain, completely blank as unconcealed killing intent surged out of him.

What desire did he have to listen Iron Dazhi’s blathering now that things had developed to this point?

He only had one notion in his heart, and that was to kill!

Kill first and think about everything else later!

So what of sect disciples? So what of Iron family geniuses?

If you want to kill me, then in turn be prepared to be slaughtered by me!

In this moment, Iron Dazhi was similar to Long Yinye from long ago, wanting to step on Jiang Chen’s head and crush him to death. There was only one way to deal with such people — kill!

But in the end, Iron Dazhi was still a fifth level spirit realm practitioner. Although he was caught on the wrong foot by Jiang Chen’s strike, his posture wasn’t in disarray as he swept his halberd and forced Jiang Chen away.

However, the opening created by his motions allowed the Goldwing Swordbirds to once again expand and retract their formation, embroiling him into the battle.

“Senior brother Dazhi, what are you doing here?” Zhou Yi was both shocked and delighted to see him.

He was delighted that with Iron Dazhi’s appearance, he would be able to shift a lot of pressure off Zhou Yi’s shoulders. If the two of them teamed up, maybe they’d be able to rush out of the formation together.

He was shocked because with Iron Dazhi in the formation, there was no one who could work from the outside.

According to Zhou Yi’s observations, there was more of a chance to break free if there was someone working in tandem with those caught in the formation.

Except, there was no time to speak of this at the moment. Zhou Yi called out, “Senior brother Dazhi, these dumb animals are quite odd. This formation is incredibly strong. We need to combine our efforts to hurry and break through it. We can only try to obtain revenge another day.”

Iron Dazhi’s face was ashen, but he had to admit that Zhou Yi was right.

They’d be lucky to escape with their lives today.

Jiang Chen spurred on the Swordbird beneath him and shot into the skies. He put away the nameless blade and once again raised the Da Yu bow.

Looking at Zhou Yi and Iron Dazhi below him, Jiang Chen’s killing intent once again surged out.

Once Iron Dazhi entered the formation, the Swordbirds no longer needed to worry about being attacked from both inside and out.

Without acting in tandem, Iron Dazhi and Zhou Yi were like a dumpling’s filling, unable to deploy any tricks and doomed to suffer defeat.

Iron Dazhi stormed forward several times as he flailed wildly with the halberd, attempting to break free, but always returned with little success.

Zhou Yi had been caught by the formation for a long time and had expended much of his energy. He used the time that Iron Dazhi was storming forward to swallow some qi replenishing pills and recover somewhat.

However, he grew anxious as he watched Iron Dazhi return after failure again and again.

They would be in great trouble if this continued!

His face further twisted as he looked into the skies.

Jiang Chen’s Da Yu bow had been pulled back into a crescent and had an arrow nocked on the string, aimed straight at them. The Da Yu bow’s presence made Zhou Yi’s scalp feel numb even at a distance.

If he’d been at his peak, Zhou Yi naturally wouldn’t have been afraid of this bow.

But now, at the end of his tether and caught in a battle formation, an attack from this Da Yu bow could cost him his life.

“Senior brother Dazhi, take care!”

In the exact moment that Zhou Yi’s warning sounded, an arrow shot down like a meteor harrying the moon from the high sky.

Zhou Yi’s warning shout had little effect.

Iron Dazhi’s body dodged to the side almost subconsciously.

He managed to shift his vitals out of the way, but the frightening arrow punched straight through his thigh.

An enormous bloody hole appeared on Iron Dazhi’s thigh.

His blood geysered forth like a river in that instant.

“Ah!!” Iron Dazhi roared wildly. “Jiang Chen you swine, how dare you hurt me!”

The motion of his halberd didn’t dare slow down as he raged, blocking the relentless attacks from the Swordbirds.

Zhou Yi was also scared witless after seeing Iron Dazhi’s injury.

A sense of danger he’d never felt before finally upwelled uncontrollably in his heart.

For the first time, he smelled the the approaching danger of death.

He had realized that Jiang Chen truly had the desire to kill this time, and really sought to take their lives.

In the beginning, although he’d been besieged by danger, he still more or less had illusions that Jiang Chen feared the Precious Tree Sect and wouldn’t dare kill them.

But now, the harsh reality had shattered his illusions; Jiang Chen wasn’t afraid of the sect at all, nor of Iron Dazhi’s identity.

“Jiang Chen!” Zhou Yi called out loudly in his fear. “Don’t you continue down this erroneous path. Senior brother Dazhi is the esteemed elder’s direct grandson. You’d be inviting calamity if you harm senior brother Dazhi in the slightest. The esteemed elder’s overwhelming wrath is sure to descend and it won’t be anything that you can handle. Even if the honored tutor were to appear, he wouldn’t be able to save you either!”

Threats?

Jiang Chen smiled coldly. He really hated these feeble threats.

These boring threats were the last whines from a beaten dog, a grasping at luck from those about to die.

Jiang Chen wasn’t the type to beat someone when they were down, but these people had challenged his bottom line again and again, wanting to kill him again and again!

If he didn’t bring out his ruthless methods now, then he really would become an easy target for people to attack at will.

“Erroneous path?”

Jiang Chen laughed coldly again, “Is it me committing mistakes again and again or you guys? Remember something clearly in your next lives, and it’s that if you want to kill someone, then you should similarly be prepared to be killed in return!”

“Jiang Chen, if you kill us, then you’ll become enemies with the entire Precious Tree Sect!” Zhou Yi cried out in a great panic.

“Even if I were to become enemies with all beneath the heavens, I, Jiang Chen, won’t let go of anyone who wants to kill me, much less for the Precious Tree Sect!”

Jiang Chen’s tone was resolute as he drew the Da Yu bow again.

Three arrows were nocked on the bowstring. He wouldn’t miss this time!

Zhou Yi’s pupils widened as his throat gurgled strangely. He roared at Iron Dazhi, “Senior brother, we attack together and use the sect’s secret arts to break through these defenses!”

The sect’s secret arts were to actually harm themselves in order to draw on their potential to suddenly obtain great battle strength.

This was a battle method used to flee for one’s life.

Once used, they’d be covered with injuries at best, or explode and die at worst.

Even if they escaped, they’d be hard-pressed to regain their strength in the future and would never advance on the path of martial dao again.

However, if they didn’t do so now, they’d meet their deaths immediately!

Dying a good death was less than eking out a living!

Iron Dazhi’s injury on his thigh was affecting his movement. When he heard Zhou Yi’s words, the muscles on his face couldn’t help but contort as if he had been bitten by a poison snake.

“Zhou Yi, you utilize the secret arts and cover me. I’ll take you out and take care of you for the rest of your life, not letting you suffer the slightest bit within the sect!” Iron Dazhi said lowly.

“What?!” A trace of anger flashed through Zhou Yi’s face. “Senior brother, it’s come to this now and you want me to bear the brunt of everything?”

“Zhou Yi, I refuse to accept this! I’m a fifth level spirit realm genius and the direct descendent of the Iron family. If something happens to me and you make it out, you’ll be dead when you return anyway. If you use the secret arts to cover my return, my grandfather and uncle will be sure to remember your favor and protect you for the rest of your life!” Iron Dazhi continued to persuade Zhou Yi.

He was different from Zhou Yi. He was a son of the Iron family, a direct descendent, and a proud son of the heavens. He really couldn’t bear to deploy the secret arts.

After all, once he utilized the secret arts, he would become a useless person. He’d never have the chance to improve on the path of training.

Once he lost the ability to improve, his standing within the Iron family would immediately change from a proud son of heaven to useless trash!

This was an absolute disaster to someone as proud as Iron Dazhi, it was worse than death!

One might as well tell him to commit suicide if they wanted him to deploy the secret arts to escape!

Therefore, he was encouraging Zhou Yi to do so instead.

Once the secret arts were used, one’s strength would instantly grow exponentially. As long as he charged the formation with wild abandon and created the slightest bit of an opening, Iron Dazhi was confident that he’d be able to flee far, far away with his speed.

There’d be plenty of chances to take his revenge on Jiang Chen once he made it through today’s dire circumstances.

As much potential as Jiang Chen had, he wouldn’t have the ability to fight against the entire Iron family.

He would have many chances to deal with Jiang Chen and make that fellow yearn for mercy and beg for the unattainable death!

When Zhou Yi saw Iron Dazhi stare at him ruthlessly, he knew that if he didn’t agree, the latter was sure to take his revenge if they made it out.

“Senior brother Dazhi, it may not be enough to break free of this formation if I’m the only one to use the secret arts!”

Iron Dazhi shouted angrily, “How do you know if you don’t try? Now that things have reached this point, we’ll be dead without a doubt if you continue to hesitate. Don’t forget about your clan and family members. What of them if you die?”

The hesitation on Zhou Yi’s face gradually disappeared and he clenched his teeth. “Alright senior brother, I hope you don’t go back on your word and don’t leave me behind when you escape!”

Soon after he deployed the secret art, he would thoroughly lose the ability to fight. If Iron Dazhi cast him aside like a discarded pawn, then his sacrifice would’ve been thoroughly in vain!