Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou were both dumbfounded. Master Kumu’s face instantly darkened, and a flash of extreme coldness and fury flickered in his eyes.

Bullshit master?

A swindling charlatan?

Beaten out with a club?

Such words would be enough to infuriate any ordinary person.

Let alone when they were directed at a high and mighty Artifact Refiner. This was an offense of the highest order.

The two of them looked toward Master Kumu. They saw the veins on his wrinkled, old-bark-like face throbbing. His grizzled eyebrows twitched, and his eyes glinted with venom and rage. He snorted coldly and ground out through clenched teeth, "Which little bastard dares to speak so rudely to this master? Get in here!"

SWOOSH—

Master Kumu thrust a claw through the air. True Essence Power gathered, forming a large, red, glowing hand that blasted open the main doors of the hall and reached for Jiang Chen.

Outside the hall...

Jiang Chen snorted coldly. He threw a punch, shattering the vicious True Essence Sharp Claw. Striding into the hall, a smirk played on his lips as he said coolly, "You lash out with your dog paws, ready to kill over a single disagreement. You have no grace at all. And you still claim you’re not a bullshit master?"

Master Kumu’s pupils shrank slightly. He stared intently at Jiang Chen, his expression turning grim. ’Who is this kid?’ he thought. ’I may not have used my full strength in that claw attack, but it was still sixty percent of my power. How could he have shattered it so easily?’

This Master Kumu’s cultivation had reached the True Martial Realm Fifth Stage, making him every bit as strong as Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou!

That last claw attack—not even a True Martial Realm Third Stage expert could have broken it so easily.

But Jiang Chen had casually destroyed it with a single punch!

To possess such strength at such a young age made Master Kumu drop his disdain. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning icy cold.

Jiang Chen glanced coolly at Master Kumu, walked right past him, and approached Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou. Clasping his fists, he said, "Jiang Chen greets the Mansion Master and General Wang!"

Wang Yizhou laughed heartily. "You brat, you’re finally back..."

"I was held up by a few things. Sorry to keep you two waiting!" Jiang Chen said with a smile.

"We haven’t been waiting too long. It’s just that we still haven’t been able to properly resolve the matter of the Qinghuo Gang..."

Yulan Shouqing gave a bitter smile and looked at Jiang Chen with a complicated expression. He then pointed at the grim-faced Master Kumu and said, "Nephew Jiang Chen, let me introduce you. This is the Vice President of the Artifact Refiner Guild, the First-Grade Middle Level Refiner, Master Kumu! I’m sure you heard from outside that we need to rely on Master Kumu to open the Qinghuo Gang’s Treasure Vault!"

"Hmph. Master of Yulan Mansion, you said before that the treasures in the Qinghuo Gang’s Treasure Vault belonged to someone else. You couldn’t have been talking about this brat, could you?" Master Kumu snorted, looking at Yulan Shouqing.

Yulan Shouqing nodded with a bitter smile.

"In that case, my previous conditions will have to change. If you want me to act, not only will this brat have to kneel before me and apologize, but I also want eighty percent of the treasure in that vault! Not a bit less!"

Master Kumu flicked his sleeve and said coolly, "Don’t even think about waiting for the President to come out of seclusion to ask for his help. When I return, I will issue a statement to the Artifact Refining Realm that anyone who helps this boy will be my enemy. I trust that Kumu still has that much face!"

With his hands behind his back, Master Kumu looked at Jiang Chen with a sneer, gloating inwardly: ’Brat, you dared to offend me, so I will humiliate you severely. I’ll make you understand that a noble Artifact Refiner like me is not to be insulted!’

At these words, the expressions of Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou changed one after another.

This old bastard’s threats were completely shameless!

If Jiang Chen refused to kneel and kowtow in apology, and they didn’t hand over eighty percent of the Treasure Vault’s contents, the Qinghuo Gang’s Treasure Vault would become useless, left to rot in their hands.

After all...

As a First-Grade Middle Level Refiner and the Vice President of the Yulan Mansion’s Artifact Refiner Guild, Master Kumu really did have that kind of influence!

"Nephew Jiang Chen, what do you think we should do now?" Yulan Shouqing looked at Jiang Chen. Although he didn’t say it outright, he was implying, ’We had already negotiated the terms, but then you came along and grievously offended him. You’re on your own to handle this!’

Seeing this, Master Kumu became even more smug and sneered, "Brat, as long as you kneel before me and beg for my forgiveness, perhaps I will consider helping you!"

Arrogant, condescending, and imperious!

This was Jiang Chen’s all-around evaluation of Master Kumu!

Watching Master Kumu, who stood before him with a haughty expression, head held high, and sweeping a disdainful gaze over him, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh, "Alas, a mere First-Grade Middle Level Refiner acting so high and mighty. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the legendary Artifact Venerable himself had descended!"

"Wh-what did you say?" Master Kumu’s face stiffened as he snapped in anger.

A mere First-Grade Middle Level Refiner?

Mere?

Holy shit!

’Do you know how many First-Grade Artifact Refiners there are in the entire Yulan Mansion? You can count them on one hand! The rest are Artifact Refining Apprentices at best...’

’And standing before you is a distinguished First-Grade Middle Level Refiner, a prodigy in the Yulan Mansion’s Artifact Refining Realm, yet you dare say he’s ’merely’ a First-Grade Middle Level?’

Even Yulan Shouqing and Wang Yizhou couldn’t help but roll their eyes. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Jiang Chen glanced at Master Kumu and said flatly, "There are Seven Grades of Artifact Refiners. You’ve barely even entered the profession. What’s there to be proud of?"

"Ignorant child, what do you know?"

Master Kumu snorted coldly, a haughty expression on his face. "I, Kumu, started learning Artifact Refining at eighteen. After ten years as an Artifact Refining Apprentice, I surpassed my own master and broke through to become a First Grade Junior Artifact Refiner. It took another twenty years to reach First-Grade Middle Level Refiner. In the entire history of Yulan Mansion, such speed ranks in the top one hundred."

"Oh my, oh my. Ten years as an apprentice, another twenty to reach First-Grade Middle Level... Decades just to barely get your foot in the door of the Path of Artifact Refining. If I were you, I’d be too embarrassed to even mention Artifact Refining. Yet here you are, all smug, talking about it day in and day out. Aren’t you ashamed?" Jiang Chen burst out laughing, looking at Master Kumu with utter contempt.

’Thirty years in total just to reach First-Grade Middle Level.’

’It took me, your father, less than a month to be able to refine First-Grade Middle Level Spirit Pills and First-Grade Middle Level Profound Weapons.’

’If I went all out, I could even successfully refine First-Grade Advanced Spirit Pills and Profound Weapons.’

’Someone with my talent hasn’t said a word, yet you, you punk, after studying for decades just to reach First-Grade Middle Level, are here whining and showing off your superiority. Aren’t you just asking for a slap in the face?’

"Little bastard, what do you know? For an Artifact Refiner, breaking through to First-Grade Middle Level in a few decades is already a sign of incredible talent! Sixty to seventy percent of Artifact Refiners might not cross the chasm between an Artifact Refining Apprentice and a First-Grade Refiner in their entire lifetime. Forget it, forget it. Me, discussing the Path of Artifact Refining with an ignorant brat like you who knows nothing about it is simply casting pearls before swine."

Master Kumu trembled with rage. He looked at Yulan Shouqing and flicked his sleeve hard. "Master of Yulan Mansion, I will report the insult and contempt you all have shown me and the profession of Artifact Refiners today to all my friends in the circle. You’d better watch yourselves!"

However, just as he was about to walk out the door, Jiang Chen sidestepped in front of him, blocking his path.

The corners of Jiang Chen’s mouth curved up in a smirk as he said coolly, "How do you know I don’t understand the Path of Artifact Refining?"

"Hmph, you’re just an ignorant child, still wet behind the ears. How could you possibly glimpse the great path of Artifact Refining?" Master Kumu sneered contemptuously.

Jiang Chen gave a half-smile. "What if I can perform Artifact Refining, and at a higher level than you? What will you do then?"

"What?"

Master Kumu reacted as if he’d heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. He roared with laughter, bending backward and forward, almost crying with mirth. With a savage grin, he said, "Forget Artifact Refining. If you can even condense True Flame, I will kneel, kowtow, and apologize to you. From now on, I will honor you as my master and serve you loyally. How about that?"

"Good. A gentleman’s word is his bond!"

Jiang Chen grinned.

"Wait..." said Master Kumu. "And what if you can’t do it?"

Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively. "There’s no ’what if,’ because that possibility doesn’t exist. Master Kumu, watch closely..."

Before his words had even faded.

A ball of golden flame erupted from Jiang Chen’s palm, bobbing up and down. The sight drained all the color from Master Kumu’s face, and his lips began to tremble. He shakily raised a finger, pointing at the golden True Flame in Jiang Chen’s palm, his voice stuttering, his face a mask of utter shock...

"G-g-golden True Flame? H-how is this possible?"