Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

"You’ve lost!"

Jiang Chen rested his blade against Lu Jie’s neck.

The chillingly distinct metallic feel of the blade spread from his neck through his entire body.

It was a cold that brought with it endless darkness and despair!

The stench of death!

With every slight movement of his throat, Lu Jie could feel the sharp edge press against his skin, threatening to slice through.

His body went rigid, the shadow of defeat enveloping his heart and mind. ’I... I actually lost? And so completely? Could it be... has my path of the Martial Dao truly gone astray?’

This defeat made him doubt his very own Martial Dao.

Like a seed, it was planted deep within his heart.

Taking root and sprouting!

One day, it would grow strong, completely upending his Martial Dao and, at the same time, shattering the invincible image of Lan Haichen he held in his heart.

A corner of Jiang Chen’s mouth curled up as he said coolly, "Lu Jie, you said you’d leave my body intact, didn’t you? In consideration of your kindness, I’ve decided to grant you the same favor!"

"No... You can’t kill me. I’m one of the ten great prodigies of the Saint Martial Sword Sect’s Outer Sect! I’m also a member of the Celestial Alliance! You can’t kill me..." Lu Jie flinched. The fear of death jolted him back to his senses, and his eyes filled with terror as he growled repeatedly.

"So members of the Celestial Alliance can’t be killed? Who made that rule?" Jiang Chen sneered.

’To hell with your Celestial Alliance!’

’Sooner or later, I’ll even cut down Lan Haichen himself, let alone the insignificant Celestial Alliance.’

Just then, a voice called out, "Jiang Chen, stop!"

The sound of them cutting through the air was particularly piercing.

Three figures flew in from the horizon, all wearing the robes of the Saint Martial Sword Sect. They were rushing toward the Scripture Pavilion with anxious expressions.

Jiang Chen paused, recognizing the newcomers.

Two of them were at the True Martial Realm Fifth Stage, and one was at the True Martial Realm Third Stage. They were his old friends—Yulan Tianpeng, Si Xiaosheng, and Lui Yifa!

"Afa? Tianpeng? Little Saint? What are you guys doing here? I was planning on looking for you in a few days!" A smile spread across Jiang Chen’s face as he greeted the trio.

"Boss!"

Lui Yifa landed in front of Jiang Chen and called out excitedly.

He had also advanced to the True Martial Realm, reaching the Third Stage. Jiang Chen clapped him on the shoulder. "Not bad. Your cultivation has progressed quickly, and you’ve gotten much sturdier. I can tell you haven’t been slacking off!"

"Yeah!"

Lui Yifa nodded firmly. Since Lui Guan’s death, Lui Yifa had become increasingly quiet and withdrawn.

But the excitement in his eyes made it clear that his bond with Jiang Chen hadn’t changed in the slightest!

Jiang Chen then turned to Si Xiaosheng and Yulan Tianpeng, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "You two have also made great progress in your cultivation!"

"It’s all thanks to you!" Si Xiaosheng managed a weak smile, opening his mouth as if to speak but then hesitating.

"If you hadn’t annihilated the Qinghuo Gang, allowing us to obtain so many Cultivation Resources, the two of us wouldn’t have improved so quickly!"

Yulan Tianpeng shrugged, his gaze falling on Lu Jie, who was pinned under Jiang Chen’s foot. His eyes flickered, and he said in a heavy voice, "Jiang Chen, do me a favor and let Lu Jie go. How about it?"

"Let him go?"

Jiang Chen paused. "You know him?"

"Yes."

Yulan Tianpeng nodded, his expression complex. After a moment’s hesitation, he sighed. "Little Saint and I both joined the Celestial Alliance, and Lu Jie has been pretty good to us. Plus, Little Saint has feelings for Lu Yunxia, so..."

Si Xiaosheng looked at Jiang Chen with an embarrassed expression, a hint of pleading in his eyes.

Jiang Chen sighed to himself.

He recognized the look in Si Xiaosheng’s eyes. It was the same way he himself had once looked at Jiang Ziyou.

But that Lu Yunxia didn’t seem to care about Si Xiaosheng in the slightest.

She hadn’t spared Si Xiaosheng a single glance this whole time. Only after hearing Yulan Tianpeng’s words did she plant her hands on her hips and shout imperiously, "Si Xiaosheng, don’t you keep saying you love me? If you love me, then hurry up and make him release my brother!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Jiang Chen shot her a cold glance. Lu Yunxia shuddered, and a trickle of blood spilled from her lips. She stared at Jiang Chen in terror, suddenly as silent as a cicada in winter, not daring to say another word.

Jiang Chen let out a long sigh.

With his temper, there was no way he would let Lu Yunxia and Lu Jie go. Anyone who dared to try and take his life had only one path: death!

But...

He, Si Xiaosheng, and Yulan Tianpeng had a life-and-death friendship. Since they had both spoken up, he couldn’t just completely ignore them. After a moment of silence, Jiang Chen’s gaze burned into Si Xiaosheng as he said in a heavy voice, "Little Saint, you should be able to see Lu Yunxia’s attitude toward you. I’ll ask you one last time: do you really want me to let them go?"

"Little Saint, maybe we should..." Yulan Tianpeng started to say.

Si Xiaosheng gently shook his head, his gaze toward Lu Yunxia filled with deep adoration and infatuation. He said in a heavy tone, "Jiang Chen, I know what you both mean, but I will marry no one but Yunxia in this lifetime! For her, I am willing to do anything. Even—die!"

Jiang Chen fell silent.

He never would have imagined that Si Xiaosheng’s feelings for Lu Yunxia ran so deep.

A moment later...

Jiang Chen shook his head gently and sighed. "Fine. For your sake, Si Xiaosheng, I’ll let them live. But..."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Two beams from his Sword Finger shot out, piercing into the bodies of Lu Jie and Lu Yunxia.

BOOM! BOOM!

The two of them shuddered violently and simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood. The auras around them withered away.

Crippled!

The great Lu Jie, one of the ten great prodigies of the Outer Sect, and his spoiled, tyrannical sister had lost all their cultivation under Jiang Chen’s Sword Finger, reduced to mere cripples.

"You... you... You actually crippled me? No..." Lu Jie coughed up a mouthful of blood in a fit of rage and passed out.

Lu Yunxia lay weakly on the ground, her eyes fixed on Jiang Chen, full of venomous hatred.

Jiang Chen looked at Si Xiaosheng and said coolly, "Little Saint, I did you a favor and spared their lives. I hope you don’t come to regret today’s decision."

"Jiang Chen, thank you!"

With a grim expression, Si Xiaosheng took Lu Yunxia and Lu Jie and flew away.

He clearly held some resentment toward Jiang Chen’s decision.

Jiang Chen let out a long sigh, knowing that a rift had formed between him and Si Xiaosheng. He turned to the awkward-looking Yulan Tianpeng. "Tianpeng, did you just say you’ve all joined the Celestial Alliance?"

"Yes."

Yulan Tianpeng nodded. "Jiang Chen, why don’t you join the Celestial Alliance with us? With your talent and strength, you’d definitely be given special priority and training! You might even receive personal guidance from the Holy Son himself. For you, it would be like ascending to heaven in a single step!"

Jiang Chen shook his head. "It’s impossible for me to join the Celestial Alliance." After a pause, he continued, "Tianpeng, if I were to establish my own power within the Sword Sect, would you be willing to leave the Celestial Alliance and join me?"

"I..."

Yulan Tianpeng froze, hesitating, unsure how to answer.

Jiang Chen let out a long sigh. He understood Yulan Tianpeng’s choice. He chuckled softly and said, "It’s alright. You don’t have to answer me right away. If you ever run into trouble, you can always come find me." His gaze then shifted to Lui Yifa.

Before Jiang Chen could even speak, Lui Yifa had already said, "Boss, I haven’t joined any organization. I knew you’d come to the Sword Sect sooner or later, so I’ve been waiting for you!"

"Hahaha, good! Afa, then come with me!"

A warmth spread through Jiang Chen’s heart. Grinning, he glanced at Yulan Tianpeng. "Brother Yulan, farewell!"

With that,

Jiang Chen took Lui Yifa and soared into the sky.

Yulan Tianpeng was left standing alone, stunned. After a moment, he gently shook his head. ’Sigh... Jiang Chen has never suffered a true setback. He underestimates the heroes of this world. The Celestial Alliance is so vast and powerful... for him to want to create a force to rival it? That’s easier said than done. No, it’s nothing but a fool’s dream!’

With a soft sigh, Yulan Tianpeng also disappeared into the crowd.

And so, the conflict came to an end.

But the name Jiang Chen once again spread throughout the Saint Martial Sword Sect.

Naturally, it also reached the ears of Jiang Ziyou...

"Junior Sister Jiang, you previously convened a meeting of the Celestial Alliance’s Elder Council to discuss the matter of Jiang Chen. Most of us elders agreed to recruit him, and you went along with our decision. Why have you summoned us again today?" Inside the Holy Son Palace, a towering figure with a cold expression spoke coolly.

The many powerful Celestial Alliance elders in the room all turned to look at Jiang Ziyou.

Contempt was visible in the eyes of more than a few.

’If this woman wasn’t so heavily favored by Lan Haichen, how could she be lording it over them?’

Jiang Ziyou’s icy gaze swept across the room. Her slender, jade-like fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, and her voice was cold enough to chill one’s very soul. "This person is as incompatible as fire and water with our Celestial Alliance; recruiting him is impossible. For a genius like him who cannot be controlled, the Celestial Alliance’s standard practice has always been to strangle him in the cradle. Today, I have summoned you elders merely to announce one thing. From this day forward, the Celestial Alliance issues a Blood-colored Killing Order for Jiang Chen. Any member of the Celestial Alliance who sees Jiang Chen is to kill him without mercy!"

HISS!

Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

A Blood-colored Killing Order?

Since the founding of the Celestial Alliance, such an order had only been issued twice before!

The towering elder frowned, lightning seeming to flash in his eyes. He said in a heavy voice, "Is it really necessary to use a Blood-colored Killing Order on a mere Outer Sect Disciple in the True Martial Realm?"

"Heh heh, I’ve heard that this Jiang Chen has a personal feud with Junior Sister Jiang. Aren’t you abusing your authority by doing this? Aren’t you afraid of betraying the Holy Son’s trust?"

"Using her position to settle a personal score. She’s not fit for such responsibility!"

Jiang Ziyou’s expression turned frigid. She produced a Golden Token, upon which was inscribed a single, large character: "Saint."

The moment the Token appeared, everyone held their breath, not daring to speak further.

Jiang Ziyou said coolly, "I am not here to discuss this with you all today, but merely to issue a command. From this day forward, any disciple of the Celestial Alliance who sees Jiang Chen—is to kill him without mercy!"

"We obey the Holy Order!"

Everyone declared in unison.

Watching the powerful elders retreat one by one, a cold light flickered in Jiang Ziyou’s eyes, her fists clenched so tightly they audibly cracked. ’Jiang Chen, oh, Jiang Chen... I never expected you to become so powerful in just one short year. Even Lu Jie couldn’t last a single exchange against you. But so what? If you oppose me, Jiang Ziyou, death is your only end! However...’

’To prevent any accidents, it seems I must make a trip to the Profound Light Realm to find the Holy Son. I’ll have him lend me a hand, just in case Jiang Chen does something desperate now that he’s cornered!’

Jiang Ziyou slowly rose and activated the golden Holy Order. A spatial passage materialized before her, and brilliant light enveloped her form.

Her figure vanished into thin air, entering the Profound Light Realm...