Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

In the courtyard residence.

Jiang Chen, who was in the middle of cultivating, opened his eyes. A flash of azure-gold light flickered through his Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil, allowing him to see past the walls to the scene outside his residence.

At that moment, several figures were standing outside Jiang Chen’s residence.

These individuals were all top experts from the Outer Sect.

Yuwen Xunyi, the second-ranked of the Outer Sect’s Ten Great Prodigies.

Lin Feifei, Ruan Lingyun, and Bai Ling, also among the Outer Sect’s Ten Great Prodigies, stood at the door as well.

The four of them stood shoulder to shoulder.

CREAK!

The door swung open, and Jiang Chen walked out with a faint smile on his face. He approached the four and said, "You’ve been waiting long?"

"Quite a while! You’d better bring out some good wine to quench our thirst later!" Yuwen Xunyi boomed with laughter.

Ever since the last time they’d sworn not to stop drinking until they were drunk—an occasion that ended with Jiang Chen drinking him under the table—Yuwen Xunyi’s relationship with Jiang Chen had grown increasingly close.

Bai Ling glanced at Jiang Chen. Watching the young man chat and laugh so freely with Yuwen Xunyi, her heart filled with a mix of complex emotions and sighs of wonder.

’Who could have imagined...’

’...that just one year ago, he was merely a minor prodigy from the remote Yandu City, yet now he had grown to such a degree!’

Bai Ling’s face was frosty. "So you’re just going to let us wait out here?" she asked coolly.

Lin Feifei and Ruan Lingyun stood to the side, not saying a word.

Of the four, they were the two who’d had the least contact with Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen smiled. "My apologies, I’ve been a poor host. Please, forgive me, my senior brothers and sisters!"

He immediately welcomed them inside.

In the backyard was a small garden with a stone table. With a casual wave of his hand, Jiang Chen set several jars of fine wine down beside it. This was aged, premium wine he had picked up while exploring the Imperial Capital with Xiao Qingyi and Little White. Each jar was worth tens of thousands of gold coins—a rare and fragrant vintage.

"All wine and no food?"

Yuwen Xunyi said, smacking his lips.

Jiang Chen smiled. "Of course there is!"

THUD—

A massive Demon Beast landed in the small courtyard. This was another ingredient he had purchased in the Imperial Capital: a Tier Three Demon Beast, the One-Horned Kui Ox.

This was a Beast King equivalent to a Heavenly Destiny Realm expert!

Incredibly powerful!

Yet here it was, being used as an ingredient. To acquire it, Jiang Chen had spent a full fifty thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Crystals.

He casually set up a roasting spit, started a bonfire, and began to roast the One-Horned Kui Ox.

Before long, a tantalizing aroma began to waft from it.

Everyone ate great chunks of meat and drank large bowls of wine. No one spoke first; they all ate and drank to their hearts’ content. In no time at all, several rounds of drinks had passed.

The ground was littered with empty wine jars.

Seeing that the time was right, Jiang Chen was the first to speak. "Everyone, I’m sure you all know why I’ve asked you here, don’t you?"

"Of course we do!"

"You want us to join your faction and oppose the Celestial Alliance?"

Lin Feifei raised a delicate eyebrow, her voice cool as she said nonchalantly, "You should know how powerful the Celestial Alliance is. Making an enemy of them is not very wise."

Though Ruan Lingyun didn’t speak, he shot Jiang Chen a sidelong glance, as if waiting for his response.

Jiang Chen took a large gulp of wine, not rushing to speak. Only when both Lin Feifei and Ruan Lingyun began to show a hint of impatience did he finally say, "Before I answer your questions, I want to ask you all: how is the wine?"

"Uh..."

Lin Feifei was taken aback.

Ruan Lingyun frowned. "It’s mellow and pleasant. A rare vintage indeed."

"Yes, it is a rare vintage. And I’ve added some rosemary to it. Even a Heavenly Destiny Realm master would be dead drunk if they had too much," Jiang Chen said slowly and deliberately. "Everyone knows that drinking gets you drunk, and that being drunk can lead to mistakes. But they just can’t resist drinking it, can’t resist challenging it!"

"Heh, Senior Brother Jiang, you must be joking. No matter how good the wine, getting drunk just means sleeping it off for a day or two at most. But if we make an enemy of the Celestial Alliance and fail, it could very well cost us our lives!" Ruan Lingyun said coolly.

Lin Feifei’s voice was chilly. "The Celestial Alliance is not to be trifled with."

"The Celestial Alliance is indeed not to be trifled with, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible!"

Jiang Chen replied nonchalantly.

He said no more.

He left the four of them to look at each other, their faces pensive as they mulled over the implications of his words.

Finally, Yuwen Xunyi broke the silence. His gaze was burning as he stared at Jiang Chen. "Jiang Chen, you should know my identity. My elder brother once told me that when I enter the Inner Sect, he’ll have me join the Crown Prince Faction. Although the Crown Prince Faction isn’t as powerful as the Celestial Alliance, it’s still one of the top three factions within the Saint Martial Sword Sect. If you want me to give up joining the Crown Prince Faction and side with you instead, I’m going to need a very good reason!"

Bai Ling drank her wine calmly, her frosty face betraying no emotion.

Lin Feifei and Ruan Lingyun nodded secretly in agreement.

With their strength and talent, they could have a place in top factions like the Crown Prince Faction or the Hundred Flowers Alliance if they just gave the word.

As for the faction Jiang Chen was trying to build...they weren’t too optimistic about it.

If it weren’t for the fact that Jiang Chen had repeatedly created miracles, piquing their curiosity, they would have disdained to even attend this gathering.

Unless Jiang Chen could offer them something truly tempting—an undeniable reason to join him—they weren’t prepared to take such a risk.

Jiang Chen’s gaze swept over them as if he could see right into their hearts, understanding their thoughts completely.

He smiled faintly, leaned forward slightly, and let his calm gaze sweep over the four of them before speaking, enunciating each word. "I don’t deny that with your talent, you would be heavily cultivated if you joined the Crown Prince Faction, the Hundred Flowers Alliance, or even the Celestial Alliance. However, what I can give you is something that the Celestial Alliance, the Crown Prince Faction, and the Hundred Flowers Alliance cannot!"

"Oh?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Their curiosity was piqued even more!

Jiang Chen’s gaze fell upon Yuwen Xunyi, his eyes so sharp they seemed to see right through him. He said calmly, "Prince Xunyi, if I’m not mistaken, with your talent, you should have been able to break through to the Heavenly Destiny Realm while cultivating in the Sword Pool. However, because the Cultivation Technique you practice is an Incomplete Technique, your attempt to reach the Heavenly Destiny Realm failed. Am I correct?"

As soon as he said this, everyone was shocked and turned to look at Yuwen Xunyi.

Yuwen Xunyi frowned, but finally gave a wry smile. "Yes. I came across this Cultivation Technique by chance, but it is indeed incomplete." Then, a look of confusion crossed his face as he looked at Jiang Chen. "Not many people know about this, but it’s not impossible to find out. Why do you bring it up?"

Jiang Chen smiled slightly and, without a word, reached out and tapped a finger against Yuwen Xunyi’s brow.

Yuwen Xunyi’s entire body shuddered, a look of utter shock in his eyes.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and he stared at Jiang Chen with an excited expression. "This... this... is all of this real?"

"Of course it’s real," Jiang Chen said with a smile. "Go on, take a moment to comprehend it."

"Alright!"

Yuwen Xunyi nodded, closed his eyes, and quietly began to comprehend.

Jiang Chen smiled, pouring and drinking wine by himself, while Bai Ling and the other two stared intently at Yuwen Xunyi.

A full half a double-hour passed.

Yuwen Xunyi opened his eyes again, a look of ecstasy on his face. He looked at Jiang Chen and said in a deep voice, "Jiang Chen, in three days, I will go to Cuiwei Pavilion. I’ll take my leave now!"

Jiang Chen nodded. "Then allow me to congratulate Prince Xunyi in advance on breaking through to Heavenly Destiny!"

"Hahaha, of course!" Yuwen Xunyi laughed heartily. "After I break through to Heavenly Destiny and you establish your faction, we’ll drink until we drop again!"

Before his words had even faded, he had transformed into a streak of Flowing Light, shooting out of the residence and rushing toward the Sword Pool.

Everyone was utterly astounded!

They were all sharp individuals; how could they not understand that Yuwen Xunyi was about to break through to the Heavenly Destiny Realm!

And the cause of it all was that single tap from Jiang Chen!

The gazes of the crowd on Jiang Chen all turned fiery.

Jiang Chen smiled and looked at Bai Ling and the other two. "You three," he said calmly, "what have you decided?"

"If you can help me break through to the Heavenly Destiny Realm, then what’s the harm in following you and making an enemy of the Celestial Alliance?" Ruan Lingyun said solemnly.

Bai Ling nodded.

Lin Feifei clenched her delicate fists, her pearly teeth gently biting her lower lip as she stared intently at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen laughed and then tapped a finger on each of their brows. A moment later, all three opened their eyes at the same time, looks of shock and ecstasy on their faces.

The three exchanged a glance and said in unison, "In three days, I will go to Cuiwei Pavilion!"

"Good!"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly.

Watching the three of them break through the air and depart, he let out a long sigh of relief. ’With these four joining, I’ll at least have enough power to contend with the Celestial Alliance in the Outer Sect. But once we get to the Inner Sect, the strength we possess will still be far from matching theirs. Whatever. I’ll focus on building my faction first. After the Celestial Fate Hunting, I’ll figure out a way to develop our presence in the Inner Sect!’

At this thought, Jiang Chen rose to his feet, returned to his room, and continued his secluded cultivation.

Time flowed like water; in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

On this day, the area before Cuiwei Pavilion was a sea of people, bustling with excitement!

[Second update!]