Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Within the Celestial Demon Canyon.

The powerhouses from the City Lord’s Mansion, the Red Flame Army, the Four Great Clans, the Money Commerce Association, and other factions had all left their encampments. With grave expressions, they looked toward the entrance of the Celestial Demon Canyon.

Outside the canyon, a dense, dark mass of powerhouses was approaching.

Every powerhouse was dressed in mourning clothes. White elegiac couplets and funeral banners fluttered in the wind as nearly ten thousand members of the Qinghuo Gang turned out in full force.

Zhao Qinghuo rode atop a Tier Two Demon Beast, a Six-Eyed Spirit Lion. Clad in azure battle armor, his eyes held a cold, intimidating glint.

Beside him was Luo Zhen, a young man from the Luo Family. He was handsome and dressed in lavish robes, his arrogant expression making it clear he looked down on everyone from Yulan Mansion. Luo Zhen’s eyes were half-closed as if he were about to fall asleep, lounging comfortably on a palanquin carried by eight Qinghuo Gang experts at the Martial Arts Ninth Stage.

"Yulan Shouqing! Wang Yizhou! Get out here!" Zhao Qinghuo bellowed from the back of the Six-Eyed Spirit Lion.

His voice was like rolling thunder, booming through the Celestial Demon Canyon.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou appeared, walking on air side by side. Frowning at Zhao Qinghuo and the nearly ten thousand people in mourning behind him, Yulan Shouqing asked in a low voice, "Zhao Qinghuo, what is the meaning of this?"

"The meaning of this? I’m here to avenge my son!" Zhao Qinghuo sneered, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Yulan Shouqing, Wang Yizhou, let me ask you... just how did my Kun’Er die?"

"What? Zhao Qiankun is dead?"

"How is that possible?"

Wang Yizhou and Yulan Shouqing exchanged a look, each seeing the utter shock in the other’s eyes.

Zhao Qiankun’s cultivation was unrivaled among his peers. They had been worried that inside the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm, Yulan Tianpeng, Jiang Chen, and the others would be completely crushed by him.

But now...

How many days has it been?

And Zhao Qiankun was already dead?

Yulan Shouqing said grimly, "Zhao Qinghuo, Zhao Qiankun and the others entered the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm more than half a month ago. You’ve been inside yourself, so you should know that it’s completely cut off from the outside world. How could we possibly know what happens in there?"

"Hmph!"

Zhao Qinghuo snorted, but he knew Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou were telling the truth.

Since they were outside the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm, it was impossible for them to know what was going on inside.

’Looks like I’ll have to wait for those inside to come out, then figure out a way to identify Kun’Er’s killer,’ Zhao Qinghuo thought.

Luo Zhen, who had been lounging lazily on his palanquin with half-closed eyes, spoke up indifferently. "Gang Leader Zhao, Junior Brother Zhao Qiankun was a disciple of my Saint Martial Sword Sect. More than that, he was the sworn brother of my Young Master. Regardless of how he died, anyone connected to this affair absolutely cannot be spared."

Zhao Qinghuo paused, then nodded. "Young Master Luo is right..." He waved his hand and commanded, "Brothers of the Qinghuo Gang, listen up! From this moment on, the Celestial Demon Canyon is sealed. Entry is permitted, but no one is to leave. Until the cause of Kun’Er’s death is uncovered, anyone who attempts to leave this canyon—kill them without mercy!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Kill them without mercy!"

The nearly ten thousand members of the Qinghuo Gang roared in unison, their cries shaking the heavens.

The faces of everyone in the Celestial Demon Canyon turned pale. Yulan Shouqing glared at Zhao Qinghuo. "Zhao Qinghuo, do you have any idea what you’re doing? Do you intend to make an enemy of the entire Yulan Mansion?"

Wang Yizhou said grimly, "Zhao Qinghuo, an act like this is a blatant show of disrespect to us!"

Before Zhao Qinghuo could even speak, Luo Zhen interjected with a sneer. "And who the hell are you? Do you think you’re even worthy of my attention?"

"And who are you?" Yulan Shouqing’s expression darkened. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Wang Yizhou snapped angrily, "Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to meddle in the affairs of Yulan Mansion?"

Luo Zhen glanced at him and sneered. "My surname is Luo! Do you still think I’m not qualified to get involved with Yulan Mansion?"

"Luo? Could it be..."

GASP...

Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou both drew a sharp, cold breath. A name that was practically taboo surfaced in their minds—the Luo Family, one of the Ten Great Aristocratic Families of the Imperial Capital!

The power and influence wielded by any one of the Ten Great Aristocratic Families of the Imperial Capital far surpassed that of an entire Mansion.

Before a behemoth like the Luo Family, a mere Master of Yulan Mansion and a Commander-in-Chief of the Red Flame Army were like insects to be crushed at will.

Luo Zhen snorted, his face a mask of arrogance and his eyes filled with an icy indifference. "Yulan Shouqing. Wang Yizhou. This young master commands you both to assist Gang Leader Zhao in thoroughly investigating the cause of Zhao Qiankun’s death. I don’t care who it is—anyone connected to Zhao Qiankun’s death is to be executed!"

The two men exchanged bitter smiles. Faced with a juggernaut like the Luo Family, they couldn’t muster the slightest thought of resistance. In unison, they said, "We will, of course, assist Gang Leader Zhao!"

"Second Brother, take our men and guard every passage in the Celestial Demon Canyon. Allow entry, but permit no one to leave. Any who try to force their way through—kill them without mercy!"

After ordering his younger brother, Zhao Qingshui, Zhao Qinghuo turned back to Yulan Shouqing and the others. His voice was low and dangerous. "Master of Yulan Mansion, I want to know everything that happened with Kun’Er before he entered the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm. Who he fought with, who offended him—I want every last detail. I hope you all choose not to hide anything. If I find out later that you did, then you’d better be prepared to face the wrath of my Qinghuo Gang!"

"This..."

Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou’s expressions faltered.

As they hesitated, the sound of two figures tearing through the air came from deeper within the Celestial Demon Canyon. It was Meng Qing and Luoo Ri, supporting Qian Luohao as they flew over. Jiang Chen had crippled all of Qian Luohao’s limbs.

Seeing their wretched state, Zhao Qinghuo was taken aback. "Patriarch Qian, Patriarch Luoo, Chairman Meng, what happened? How did you end up like this?"

"Don’t ask!"

"It’s a long story!"

Luoo Ri and Meng Qing gave bitter smiles.

"It was a little bastard named Jiang Chen who did this to us! Gang Leader Zhao, if I’m not mistaken, the little mongrel who killed your Young Master is that very same Jiang Chen." Qian Luohao’s face was a mask of savagery and hatred. Gritting his teeth, he recounted the entire feud between Jiang Chen and Zhao Qiankun, including how the Lui Family had helped Jiang Chen fight against them.

The moment he heard that Zhao Ritian, Gongsun Yangg, and Chen Yidao had also been killed by Jiang Chen...

...Zhao Qinghuo’s rage erupted. His killing intent flared, and a bone-chilling aura radiated out from him. He stared daggers at Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou. "Master of Yulan Mansion, General Wang... why didn’t you tell me this when I questioned you moments ago?"

"That Jiang Chen has only just entered the True Martial Realm. How could he possibly have killed Zhao Qiankun?" Yulan Shouqing said lightly.

Wang Yizhou snorted. "This General is not your subordinate. You’d best speak to me with some respect!"

"Good, very good. I, Zhao Qinghuo, will remember this."

Zhao Qinghuo’s venomous gaze snapped toward the Lui Family’s encampment. "Men! Seize everyone from the Lui Family for me!"

Yulan Shouqing’s face changed as he snapped, "Zhao Qinghuo, do you have any idea what you’re doing? The Lui Family is one of the Four Great Clans of Yulan Mansion! Do you think you can just seize the dignified Patriarch of the Lui Family on a whim?"

"Hmph, the Four Great Clans? As of today, the Lui Family will no longer be one of them!"

Zhao Qinghuo spoke with chilling indifference, his eyes flashing with deadly intent as he bit out each word, "Anyone who dares to make an enemy of my Qinghuo Gang will find only death. Men! Kill every last member of the Lui Family. Leave no one alive. I’d like to see who dares to stop me, Zhao Qinghuo!"

"Kill!"

"Scum of the Lui Family, die!"

Several True Martial Realm Powerhouses burst from the ranks of the Qinghuo Gang. Led by Zhao Qinghuo, they were an unstoppable force that no one dared to block as they charged directly into the Lui Family’s encampment.

Lui Guan and Lui Chen wore grim expressions as they desperately tried to fight back. "Zhao Qinghuo, are you insane?"

"I’m not insane. You can only blame your Lui Family for being so blind as to oppose my Qinghuo Gang!" Zhao Qinghuo sneered. His figure flashed, transforming into a streak of Flowing Light as he charged toward Lui Chen and Lui Guan.

As a powerhouse at the True Martial Realm Sixth Stage, he completely overwhelmed Lui Guan and Lui Chen, who were merely at the True Martial Realm Second Stage.

A moment later...

Everyone from the Lui Family was captured. Grand Elder Lui Chen was slain by Zhao Qinghuo in a single blow. Lui Xiao’s hands were severed, and Zhao Qinghuo pinned him to the ground with his foot. Zhao Qinghuo’s expression was glacial. "All who oppose the Qinghuo Gang will be killed without mercy! Your Lui Family will kneel here obediently. Starting now, for every half a day that passes without finding the murderer, I will execute one person from your family. This will continue until the real killer shows up!"

The elites of the Lui Family, one of the esteemed Four Great Clans, had been either killed or captured by the Qinghuo Gang in less than an hour. They were utterly routed.

The vicious might of the Qinghuo Gang was, for that moment, unmatched.

The entire Celestial Demon Canyon fell into a dead silence.

Only Qian Luohao, Luoo Ri, and Meng Qing looked excited. They stared toward the entrance of the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm, their eyes filled with malice and venom. ’Oh, Jiang Chen... Jiang Chen... whether you killed Zhao Qiankun or not, given Zhao Qinghuo’s tyrannical and overbearing nature, the day you return from the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm will be the day you journey to the Yellow Springs. HA HA HA...’