Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

"You little bastard! You’ve gone too far!"

Jiang Tai sprinted wildly, fleeing toward the Jiang Family estate.

Before the Jiang Family’s main gate, the two guards were suddenly shocked. "Patriarch!"

"Quick, ring the alarm bell! Get all the Elders, all the family’s experts, out here now!" Jiang Tai roared hysterically.

He risked a hurried glance back and saw a young man approaching, longsword in hand.

At this moment, in Jiang Tai’s eyes, that young man was like a Demon God.

His face turned deathly pale. He yelled at the two dazed guards, "Are you deaf? Hurry up and ring the alarm bell, or we’re all done for!"

"Ah? Yes, yes... We’re going..."

The two guards scrambled away.

DONG DONG DONG—

A series of resounding chimes echoed from within the Jiang Family estate.

The entire Jiang Family fell into chaos. "This is the Annihilation Alarm! It’s only rung when the family’s survival is at stake! Everyone, move!"

"Quick, get the Supreme Elder!"

"Law Enforcement Team, get out here, now..."

Whether they were in seclusion or resting, the experts of the Jiang Family all began to appear.

Over a hundred experts, clad in battle armor and wielding Cold Light Combat Weapons, appeared before the Jiang Family’s main hall, their synchronized steps thundering like a torrent of steel.

An old man with a white beard and hair, whose aura radiated the immense power of the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Stage, frowned at the disheveled and utterly pathetic Jiang Tai. "Patriarch, what is the meaning of this?"

"Supreme Elder... it’s Jiang Taixu’s son, Jiang Chen! He-he’s rebelling! He wants to kill me..." Jiang Tai gasped out between ragged breaths.

"Jiang Chen?"

The Supreme Elder was taken aback. "What exactly is going on?"

Jiang Tai quickly explained the situation—omitting, of course, the part where he and his daughter had forcibly taken the Saint Martial Order, framed Jiang Chen, and tried to have him killed.

"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!" The Supreme Elder’s face darkened as he said angrily, "As a disciple of the family, he should put the family’s interests above all else. How can Jiang Chen be so selfish? Doesn’t he understand the importance of the bigger picture?"

Jiang Tai nodded. "The Supreme Elder is absolutely right. That Jiang Chen is nothing but a selfish villain. I implore the Supreme Elder to seek justice for us!"

"Rest assured. If he dares to show himself, I will persuade him to see reason. If he repents and turns from his misguided path, I can spare his life for his father’s sake. But if he doesn’t know what’s good for him, then I will have no choice but to cleanse the house..." The Supreme Elder nodded, his white hair stirring in a nonexistent wind.

The group all turned to look at the entrance of the Jiang Family’s main gate.

A young man was seen striding toward them.

His robes billowed in the wind, his black hair whipping about. Blood dripped from the longsword in his hand. Each step covered several meters. He came to a stop before the gate, his gaze locking onto Jiang Tai. "Jiang Tai, you’re quite the fast runner!"

"Insolent Jiang Chen! The Supreme Elder is here! How dare you not kneel and pay your respects? What has become of your manners!" Jiang Tai shouted angrily.

The Supreme Elder narrowed his eyes, his expression full of arrogance.

Jiang Chen glanced at him and sneered. "Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Stage? I’m surprised the Jiang Family still has an expert like you... But unfortunately for you, Jiang Tai, you’ve miscalculated. Do you really think he can stop me?"

"Insolence!"

The Supreme Elder’s face darkened, and he bellowed in anger.

He was a grand master at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Stage. In all of Yandu City, only the City Lord, Sima Tao, could be considered his equal.

Even Sima Tao had to address him as ’Senior’ upon seeing him!

’How dare Jiang Chen look down on me like this?’

With a haughty expression, the Supreme Elder said coldly, "Boy, considering the contributions your father made to the family back in the day, if you surrender now and cripple your own cultivation, I will only have you spend the rest of your life in the family dungeon as punishment. But if you dare to resist further and disrespect your superiors, then I can no longer be sentimental. I will have to cleanse the house!"

"You old bastard, you don’t even bother to distinguish right from wrong. When I was forced out of the Jiang Family by that father-daughter pair, when they stole my Saint Martial Order and repeatedly tried to frame me and have me killed, why didn’t you come out to ’cleanse the house’ then? Now you come hopping out, wanting to cripple my cultivation? You’re not worthy!" Jiang Chen sneered.

"You have a death wish, boy! Die!"

The Supreme Elder snorted coldly and thrust a palm viciously toward Jiang Chen.

BOOM—

The palm strike contained an incredibly condensed True Qi.

The dense True Qi formed a massive True Qi Palm Seal, the size of a small house, and slammed down on Jiang Chen.

’The Supreme Elder is just one step away from advancing to the True Martial Realm. This palm strike should be enough to severely injure Jiang Chen, right?’ Jiang Tai clenched his fists, his face filled with excitement.

However, faced with the Supreme Elder’s powerful palm strike, Jiang Chen simply lifted his sword.

SWISH—

A flash of sword light flowed like water, sweeping past and instantly destroying the massive True Qi Palm Seal. The light then streaked across the Supreme Elder’s neck. A spray of blood erupted as his throat was sliced open. His head tumbled to the ground. The great Supreme Elder of the Jiang Family was decapitated, killed by a single strike from Jiang Chen’s sword!

"The position of Supreme Elder exists to uphold the family’s rules, enforce the law, and seek justice for its members. But you couldn’t even tell right from wrong. Your death was well-deserved!"

Jiang Chen snorted coldly.

Jiang Tai’s face changed drastically. Looking at the murderous Jiang Chen, he roared at the experts of the Law Enforcement Team, "What are you all standing there for? Get him!"

"Kill!"

"Defend the family’s honor!"

The experts of the Law Enforcement Team roared in unison and charged toward Jiang Chen like a torrent of steel.

Facing the charge of over a hundred experts, Jiang Chen snorted, unafraid, and lunged forward with his longsword.

Flowing Light Technique...

Thunderbolt Technique...

His sword moved like a shuttle, like an aurora falling from the heavens. Everywhere it passed, a swath of slaughter followed. Heads, severed limbs, blood, and gore flew through the air as bodies piled up into a mountain.

These experts from the Law Enforcement Team were no match for Jiang Chen’s powerful Sword Skill.

Every swing of his sword was enough to kill two or three experts.

In just a few minutes, the Law Enforcement Team had been utterly routed, leaving only a solitary Jiang Tai...

CLACK, CLACK, CLACK!

Jiang Chen walked forward, one deliberate step at a time, and stopped in front of Jiang Tai. "Now it’s your turn."

"Jiang Chen, you-you-you can’t kill me... My daughter is a disciple of the Saint Martial Sword Sect..." Jiang Tai’s voice trembled.

Jiang Chen sneered. "Jiang Ziyou? Don’t worry. In one year, I’ll send her to Hell to reunite with you!"

"No... I raised you for six years! This is betrayal! You’re an ingrate..."

Jiang Tai’s face was ashen.

His expression was filled with terror and dread.

At this moment, in Jiang Tai’s eyes, Jiang Chen was the very embodiment of the Death God.

’How could he not be afraid?’

"You dare bring up those six years? HAHAHA! Did you think I didn’t know how much you and your daughter took from me during those six years? The Aurora Sword Technique alone was more than enough to compensate you for everything, yet you were still not satisfied! You had to steal my Saint Martial Order and try to take my life! When it comes to those six years, you are the ones in my debt! I, Jiang Chen, owe you nothing!"

A savage expression appeared on Jiang Chen’s face as he spoke, emphasizing every word.

’Those six years... I thought Jiang Ziyou genuinely cared for me. I never guarded myself against her or her father. I even gave the Aurora Sword Technique to Jiang Ziyou. And what did I get in return? Exiled from the family, my Saint Martial Order stolen, trapped in perilous situations time and again, nearly dying... All of it was reason enough to kill him!’

SWISH—

With a single slash, he severed both of Jiang Tai’s feet.

"AHHH..."

Jiang Tai screamed, collapsing to his knees. He supported himself with one hand and pointed at Jiang Chen with the other, roaring venomously, "Jiang Chen, how dare you do this to me? I’ll see you dead with no place for a grave..."

"I hate it when people point at me." The sword light flashed again, and both of Jiang Tai’s hands were severed, blood gushing like a fountain.

"ROAR... Jiang Chen, you’ll die a dog’s death! A dog’s death!" Jiang Tai lay in a pool of his own blood, screaming hysterically, his venomous gaze locked on Jiang Chen.

It was a look that could devour a man whole.

Sima Tao, who had just arrived, saw the scene and his expression changed drastically. He said in a low voice, "Jiang Chen, be merciful when you can. He’s already like this. It’s enough!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sima Tao moved to help Jiang Tai up.

Jiang Chen glanced at him and said indifferently, "Get lost."

"You- what did you say?" Sima Tao froze, staring at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen said coldly, "I told you to get lost."

"Bastard! I am the City Lord! How dare you... AHH!" Before Sima Tao could finish, a flash of sword light swept past his shoulder. Blood gushed out as a hole was pierced straight through it.

Sima Tao clutched his shoulder, his face pale, looking at Jiang Chen in disbelief.

Jiang Chen swept his gaze over the crowd and announced calmly, "This is a private matter of my Jiang Family. Anyone who dares to interfere will end up like him!"

The crowd was as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to take a single step forward.

Jiang Tai was completely hopeless. His twisted face twitched as he stammered, "Jiang... Jiang Chen, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please, spare me. The Saint Martial Order is on me. I’ll give it back to you. Please don’t kill me..."

"The Saint Martial Order was mine to begin with."

Jiang Chen flicked his longsword, retrieving the Saint Martial Order, and said flatly, "As for you, death is too good for you."

He raised his arm, and the longsword swept out.

SQUELCH—

A column of blood spurted out, and Jiang Tai’s head rolled away, his eyes wide open in death.

Jiang Chen glanced impassively at Jiang Tai’s corpse, then looked around. "This vast Jiang Family estate... if not for my father slaying three Martial Arts Ninth Stage masters and intimidating all of Yandu City back then, it would have been trampled flat long ago. Since I’ve already been expelled from the Jiang Family by all of you, then this estate should be returned to my father and me!"

"You- what are you going to do?"

"No, Jiang Chen, you can’t do this! You can’t..."

The remaining members of the Jiang Family paled, but none dared to step forward and stop him.

They could only watch helplessly as Jiang Chen lit a torch, set the main hall ablaze, and the fire spread, engulfing the entire Jiang Family estate.

Flames shot into the sky, creating a sea of fire that burned half the heavens red.

Sima Tao and the others stood side-by-side, watching in utter shock as the Jiang Family estate turned into a sea of fire. From within the roiling ocean of flames, a young man’s figure slowly emerged. The firelight cast his shadow long and far, and his calm voice sent a chill down everyone’s spine...

"I said that no one can take what belongs to me. Today, putting the Jiang Family to the torch is just me collecting some interest. As for the rest... I will find Jiang Ziyou one day and collect the principal, with interest."