Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

A distance of thirteen thousand li seemed vast, but both Jiang Chen and Wu Hao were cultivators of the Heavenly Destiny Realm. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Flying at full speed, they were several times faster than the speed of sound.

It only took them five double-hours to reach the Celestial Cloud Cave.

The area surrounding the Celestial Cloud Cave was scorched black, and the entrance to the cave was flanked by two steep cliffs.

The cave entrance was situated right between these steep cliffs.

Jiang Chen stood before the cliffs, frowned, and said in a low voice, "If I’m not mistaken, these two cliffs were originally a single mountain peak!"

"That’s right!"

Wu Hao looked at Jiang Chen with admiration and nodded. A hint of terror appeared in his eyes as if recalling the shocking scene. "This was originally one mountain," he said in a low voice. "Back then, Yinn Tianzong was hunting several experts from the Saint Martial Sword Sect and the Fiery Sun Sect. The experts from the Fiery Sun Sect hid inside the mountain, so Yinn Tianzong, in a fit of rage, split the entire peak in two."

This mountain peak was a full five hundred zhang high.

A person standing before it was like an ant before a palm.

Jiang Chen nodded to himself. ’Yinn Tianzong is truly worthy of being one of the Ten Great Young Venerables. Judging by how smooth the cliff faces are, he must have split the entire mountain from summit to base with a single blow. A feat like this is indeed far more powerful than anything Dugu Xue or the Ghost Emperor could manage.’

"Benefactor, should we go in now?" Wu Hao asked.

Jiang Chen smiled. "We’ve come all this way. Of course we’re going in!"

The two walked side by side into the Celestial Cloud Cave.

The entire Celestial Cloud Cave was located underground.

It had originally been concealed by the mountain, its entrance nearly impossible to find.

Even with Jiang Chen’s Divine Thought Power at the Third-Grade High-Level, it would have been impossible to penetrate a mountain several hundred zhang high. Yinn Tianzong had only discovered this place by a stroke of luck.

The most striking sensation upon entering the Celestial Cloud Cave was warmth!

Logically, being underground should feel cold and damp, unless one was close to the Earth Core.

Yet this place had a pleasant, comforting warmth.

Walking through the cave felt like being bathed in a spring breeze!

"Benefactor, I had only explored a fifth of the Celestial Cloud Cave when I stumbled upon a pile of Cyan Radiance Stones. I roughly estimated there were over three hundred thousand of them. That’s why they’ve been hunting me so relentlessly!" Wu Hao said.

Jiang Chen’s brows twitched. "Over three hundred thousand?"

To put that in perspective...

...during his extensive digging across the Sixteenth State, he had only managed to find several hundred thousand Cyan Radiance Stones at once on one or two occasions.

Wu Hao nodded. "It was definitely over three hundred thousand Cyan Radiance Stones. And I’m not the only one who found some. As far as I know, at least five other people have found stashes of over one hundred thousand!"

’In that case, there must be a massive Cyan Radiance Stone mineral vein hidden in this Celestial Cloud Cave. Otherwise, there’s no way so many stones would appear!’ Jiang Chen nodded to himself.

A fervent glint flashed in his eyes.

When he left Celestial Relief City, he had specifically checked Lan Haichen’s points, which had reached a staggering two billion.

His own points were currently close to nine hundred million, still a long way from catching up.

’If there really is a Cyan Radiance Stone mineral vein in this Celestial Cloud Cave, and I can claim it for myself, then catching up to Lan Haichen will be just around the corner!’

"Huh? Isn’t that Wu Hao? What are you doing here?"

"Hahaha, Wu Hao? He’s the one who got over three hundred thousand Cyan Radiance Stones! I was just regretting that I hadn’t run into him. I can’t believe he delivered himself right to my doorstep!"

While the two were talking.

The sound of several sets of light footsteps approached from a distance, and soon, a group of people had surrounded Jiang Chen and Wu Hao.

"Zhu Zitai! It’s you?" Wu Hao’s expression changed abruptly as he cried out in alarm.

A look of dread was on his face.

Clearly...

...this Zhu Zitai was someone so powerful that he struck fear into Wu Hao’s heart.

From the crowd, a young man built like a ball with a fat head and large ears stepped forward. His eyes were nearly squeezed into two slits by his fleshy face, but they glinted with a menacing, cold light. He stared intently at Wu Hao, his expression dripping with greed. "Heh heh, Wu Hao, oh, Wu Hao! Heaven has a road, but you refused to walk it; Hell has no gates, yet you came knocking. Now that you’ve run into me, you know what to do, don’t you?"

"Wu Hao, didn’t you hear Senior Brother Zhu? Hand over all the Cyan Radiance Stones you found!"

"You were lucky last time and didn’t run into us, which is how you escaped. You think you’ll get lucky a second time?"

The dozen or so lackeys around Zhu Zitai all sneered at Wu Hao.

They completely ignored Jiang Chen!

As if Jiang Chen didn’t even exist!

Wu Hao’s expression shifted, uncertain and pale. He looked anxiously at Jiang Chen and said in a low voice, "Benefactor, I’ll hold them off. You need to escape!"

"Hm?"

Jiang Chen paused, pointed at Zhu Zitai, and asked in confusion, "Is this fatty that strong?"

"Strong?"

Wu Hao froze, a bitter look on his face. He said helplessly, "Strong is an understatement! He’s the third-ranked expert in the Nine Sins Hall. He reached the Half-Step Union Palace Realm two years ago. In the entire Ninth State, he’s the number one expert aside from Yinn Tianzong..."

"Third-ranked in the Nine Sins Hall? Then he’s indeed a bit stronger than Xie Zesen," Jiang Chen nodded, stating it as if it were a simple fact.

Wu Hao’s eyes widened. "Benefactor, you know Xie Zesen?"

"Mhm, I killed him not too long ago," Jiang Chen said matter-of-factly.

Wu Hao: "..."

He hadn’t bothered to lower his voice, so his words reached the ears of Zhu Zitai and his men.

Zhu Zitai’s face flushed red before he couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out with a sputtering laugh. The fat on his face quivered as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. He mocked disdainfully, "Wu Hao, where did you find this brainless punk? He actually claims he killed Junior Brother Xie? Hahaha, that’s hilarious! A mere Heavenly Destiny Realm Sixth Stage cultivator like you? If you had really met Junior Brother Xie, he would have slapped you to death long ago. You think you could kill him?"

"How ridiculous!"

"Now that’s what I call a boast. I’m impressed!"

Zhu Zitai’s lackeys chimed in with their own mockery.

"..."

Jiang Chen had a helpless look on his face.

’I’m just telling the fucking truth, and you all have to mock me like this? What kind of world is this?!’

Zhu Zitai’s smile slowly faded. His arrogant gaze swept over Jiang Chen as he crooked a finger at him. "Kid, based on your talent for telling jokes just now, I think you’d make a decent lackey by my side. You could keep me amused. How about this: just get on your knees and kowtow to me ten times, and from now on, you’ll be one of Zhu Zitai’s dogs. I guarantee that no one in the Ninth State will dare to bully you again!"

Jiang Chen: "..."

’Kowtow? Be your dog?’

’You son of a bitch!’

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. "With a character like yours? Forget about me following you. Even if you begged to be my dog, I’d still find you disgusting!"

"Hm?"

Zhu Zitai froze, his gaze turning grim. He was one of the top three geniuses of the Nine Sins Hall’s Inner Sect. When had he ever been looked down upon like this? He snorted coldly, killing intent surging. "Kid, I already gave you a chance. Since you’re so determined to die, don’t blame me for being merciless! Kill him!"

His dozen or so experts from the Nine Sins Hall all drew their weapons and charged at Jiang Chen.

A flash of light in Jiang Chen’s eyes, and he moved in an instant. Like a fish in water, he weaved between the men. In a flash, he slipped past the dozen murderous experts and appeared before Zhu Zitai.

"You worthless trash, you can’t even stop one person? He’s over here!" Zhu Zitai’s face was grim as he roared.

However...

...the dozen or so men didn’t respond.

A crimson gash suddenly appeared on each of their necks. Blood sprayed out—SPURT! SPURT!—and they fell to the ground, dead!

GASP!

Both Zhu Zitai and Wu Hao gasped, their eyes wide with horror. "Th-this... how is this possible?"

In the instant he brushed past them, Jiang Chen had actually cut down more than ten people?

It was simply unbelievable!

Zhu Zitai stared at the young man before him, who was now emanating a dark golden glow. He swallowed hard, a chill running down his spine. That speed alone was enough to render him completely helpless!

"You were saying something about wanting me to be your dog?" Jiang Chen asked, his eyes narrowing into a grin.

Zhu Zitai shuddered.

Then, to the utter astonishment of both Wu Hao and Jiang Chen, his legs gave out and he knelt directly in front of Jiang Chen. His head made dull THUD! THUD! sounds as he repeatedly slammed it against the ground. In a loud, firm voice, he looked up at Jiang Chen with a fawning expression and said, "Master, I beg you, please let me be your dog!"

Jiang Chen and Wu Hao were both stunned speechless...