Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

"Stop!"

A voice, seething with fury, rang out from behind.

The crowd at the entrance of the Artifact Refining Room parted to make way as three figures strode in.

All three men were clad in gray battle armor. The armor glinted coldly, covered in mysterious patterns—a total of five Inscriptions that flowed with radiant light.

On the left breastplate of each suit of armor was a large, stylized character for "Refining"!

This battle armor alone was a Yellow Tier High-level Profound Weapon!

Throughout the entire Saint Martial Dynasty, only one faction could afford to use Yellow Tier High-level Profound Weapon Armor as standard-issue equipment: the Artifact Refiner Guild.

These three were none other than the Artifact Refiner Guild’s Law Enforcement Team!

"Quick, make way! The Law Enforcement Team is here!"

"That’s Deputy Captain Hu Tao of the Law Enforcement Team! His cultivation has reached the Heavenly Destiny Realm Fourth Stage, and his Tiger Touching Great Strength Technique is incredibly powerful. For that kid to cause trouble in the Artifact Refiner Guild... he’s a dead man!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

When Xiong Yingjie, still lying on the floor, saw the burly Hu Tao, his expression changed instantly. A look of wild excitement crossed his face as if he’d just found his savior, and he yelled, "Brother Hu, help me!"

"Hm?"

Hu Tao faltered, looking at Xiong Yingjie’s half-swollen face. He frowned. "And you are?"

Xiong Yingjie scrambled to say, "Brother Hu, it’s me, Yingjie! Xiong Yingjie!"

"Young Master Xiong?"

Hu Tao’s eyes widened as he stared at Xiong Yingjie, whose head was swollen like a pig’s. He was in disbelief. "Young Master Xiong, what happened to you?"

"It was him! This bastard did this to me! Not only did he hit me, but he also beat Master Qin unconscious..." Xiong Yingjie pointed at Jiang Chen, his face contorted in a savage snarl as he yelled, "Brother Hu, you have to avenge us!"

Hu Tao’s expression darkened.

As the deputy captain of the Artifact Refiner Guild’s Law Enforcement Team, he was intimately familiar with all the Artifact Refiners in the guild. Of course he knew who Master Qin was!

A cold glint appeared in his eyes. He glared at Jiang Chen, his voice low and frosty. "Who are you? How dare you cause trouble in the Artifact Refiner Guild? Do you have a death wish?"

"You’re the deputy captain of the Law Enforcement Team, yet you don’t bother to ask what happened or distinguish right from wrong. Is it really appropriate for you to just start barking orders at me?" Jiang Chen asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Hmph!"

Hu Tao sneered, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "Master Qin is a respected Artifact Refiner of our Artifact Refiner Guild, and Young Master Xiong is the prized disciple of Master Yu Dan from the Alchemy Master Guild," he said coldly. "It doesn’t matter who was right or wrong. The very fact that you dared to lay a hand on them gives this captain the authority to apprehend you! Men! Seize this rabble-rouser!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Kid, you’d better not resist. If you do, we’ll make sure you regret it!"

The two Law Enforcement Team members flanking Hu Tao sneered as they closed in on Jiang Chen.

True Essence flowed from their bodies, their vital energy surging.

Both were experts at the True Martial Realm Eighth Stage. They struck like lightning, their iron chains transforming into two black Spiritual Pythons that whipped out to ensnare Jiang Chen.

Both chains were Yellow-tier Profound Weapons.

They were engraved with binding Inscriptions; once ensnared, even an expert at the Peak of True Martial Realm would struggle to break free.

"Get back!"

Jiang Chen flicked a finger. A sharp Sword Aura flared from his fingertip, shooting out and blasting the two iron chains away.

The two chains snapped and clattered to the ground.

"You’re courting death!"

"Kill him!"

The two men’s expressions changed. They simultaneously drew their Combat Weapons and charged at Jiang Chen.

"Piss off!"

Jiang Chen snorted, sweeping his arm through the air and releasing a surging wave of True Essence. A single backhand sent both True Martial Realm experts flying, and they crashed heavily to the ground.

*GASP*...

Everyone who witnessed the scene couldn’t help but gasp.

Those were Yellow Tier High-level Profound Weapons!

And he’d broken them with a single finger. Just how strong was he?

"H-how is he so strong?" Xiong Yingjie jumped in fright.

Hu Tao’s pupils contracted. His dark gaze fell upon Jiang Chen as he sneered, "No wonder you’re so arrogant. It seems you have some skill after all. But if you think that’s enough to let you run wild in the Artifact Refiner Guild, you’re gravely mistaken!"

"You two, fall back! I will deal with him myself!"

Hu Tao barked.

The two Law Enforcement Team members retreated, glaring at Jiang Chen with venomous hatred. They grit their teeth. "That bastard made us lose all face! Captain, you have to avenge us!"

"Don’t worry. Just watch how I put him in his place!"

Hu Tao nodded. With a sneer, he suddenly took a step.

His movement was as fast as a thunderclap, and in a single step, he was right in front of Jiang Chen.

Hu Tao wore a black glove on his fist. Its Inscriptions pulsed with faint light as he swiped at Jiang Chen like a tiger’s claw.

This strike packed enough force to shatter a mountain peak!

It was a killing blow!

Xiong Yingjie’s face lit up with excitement. "Brother Hu is a true master at the Heavenly Destiny Realm Fourth Stage! With him making a move, Jiang Chen is a dead man!"

But the smile vanished from his face a second later.

Facing Hu Tao’s powerful assault, a cold glint merely flashed in Jiang Chen’s eyes as he met the attack with a bare-fisted punch of his own.

The two fists collided violently.

BOOM—

The muffled impact sounded like two behemoths colliding.

The smile on Hu Tao’s face froze solid. His face flushed beet red, and with a sudden cry of pain, he was sent flying backward. He slammed hard against the wall and slid to the floor, his eyes wide with horror and disbelief. "H-How is this possible?"

His Tiger Touching Great Strength Technique was renowned for its raw power.

Among the Artifact Refiner Guild’s Law Enforcement Team, his cultivation wasn’t the highest. But when it came to pure strength, not even their captain at the Heavenly Destiny Realm Sixth Stage was his match.

And yet, Jiang Chen had just sent him flying with a single punch.

Just how much strength did that take?

"This kid is way too strong!"

"He sent Deputy Captain Hu flying with a single punch? Th-that’s incredible..."

Everyone stared, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Xiong Yingjie’s face was a mask of horror. ’No way... he’s... he’s that strong? And I... I picked a fight with him?’

For the first time... Xiong Yingjie felt a pang of regret.

"You little bastard, I’ll kill you!"

But Hu Tao was enraged!

He shot up from the ground, his eyes burning with rage. He, the great deputy captain of the Artifact Refiner Guild’s Law Enforcement Team, couldn’t even block a single punch from Jiang Chen. If word of this got out, how could he ever show his face again?

In his fury, a cold light flashed, and a crimson Battle Halberd appeared in his hand.

He thrust the Battle Halberd through the air.

Instantly, the Inscriptions on the Battle Halberd flared, and the phantom of a pitch-black Demon Tiger erupted from it, charging toward Jiang Chen.

"Tiger-Touch Heaven-Piercing Spike!"

The attack’s Evil Qi surged to the heavens as the black tiger bounded forward, opening its massive, blood-red maw to devour Jiang Chen.

The black Demon Tiger tilted its head back and let out a heaven-shaking roar. The sound made everyone’s eardrums ache, and the resulting gale knocked many of them off their feet.

It was a fatal strike.

Flames of anger surged in Jiang Chen’s heart. A cold light flashed in his eyes. "Sky-Break Finger!"

HUMMM!

A black vortex materialized before his fingertip. From within it, a True Essence Giant Finger shot out, rushing toward the black Demon Tiger like a pillar holding up the heavens, intent on crushing it.

BOOM—

The black Demon Tiger was pulverized by the finger.

Without slowing, the attack slammed into Hu Tao, sending him flying once more.

Hu Tao spat out a mouthful of blood, his face a mask of savagery and bloodlust. He let out a thunderous roar, "You little bastard, I’m going to end you!"

His True Essence flared like surging lightning, and he was just about to strike again.

But just then... a voice, filled with the fury of an erupting volcano, boomed from outside the Artifact Refining Room: "Hu Tao, it seems to me that you’re the one courting death!"