Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

The sun had set, and stars dotted the deep, dark night sky.

Along the rugged mountain paths, a figure moved like a Spiritual Ape, darting with incredible speed and agility. The treacherous trails and convoluted terrain were no obstacle to him; he moved as freely as a fish in water.

’A First-Grade Advanced Spirit Medicine, a Seven-Star Blood Epiphyllum?’

’A First-Grade Low-Level Spirit Medicine, an Earth-Walking Spirit Ginseng?’

’A Tier One High-level Demon Beast, an Iron-Backed Lizard...’

’Wow, I can’t believe I found such a rare Blood Sun Grass here. If I took this back, it would definitely sell for several million taels. Plus, it’s the main ingredient for the Celestial Yang Pill. It’s incredibly scarce in the outside world!’

Jiang Chen raced onward, relying on his formidable strength and Perception Power to discover a great many Spirit Medicines.

Like a swarm of locusts, he left no mature Spirit Medicine behind!

In the outside world, these Spirit Medicines would be priceless and virtually impossible to find for sale. But the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm was a sealed, independent Small World.

Few humans ever set foot here, allowing Spirit Medicines to flourish. Each and every one was a priceless treasure!

Of course...

Along the way, Jiang Chen also encountered quite a few Demon Beasts. He killed them all, taking their Demon Cores and other valuable materials.

After all, he had Qian Luohao’s, Luoo Ri’s, and Meng Qing’s Storage Rings, so he had more than enough space to store all the materials and Spirit Medicines he found.

’Huh? Why are so many Demon Beasts gathered here?’ As Jiang Chen passed a steep cliff, he was startled to find over a hundred Demon Beasts gathered at its base. Most were Tier One Middle and High-Level, but there were even three Tier Two Low-Level Demon Beasts among them. Each of the three was no weaker than the Black Cloud Demon Bear he had fought before!

Jiang Chen’s Body Technique was superb. He concealed himself on the cliff’s edge, silently creeping closer to the base.

He discovered that at the very center of the gathering was the skeleton of a colossal beast, as large as a small hill.

The stark white bones had been eroded by wind and rain for countless years and were heavily weathered, yet they still emanated a faint, oppressive aura. In life, this colossal beast must have been a powerful Demon Beast Dominator!

Jiang Chen’s gaze, however, fell upon something within the skeleton: a beautiful little plant that shimmered with a crimson glow, as if carved from blood-red jade. The small, blood-colored plant radiated a brilliant, divine light. It swayed in the wind, looking so fragile it might be uprooted at any moment, yet it remained firmly anchored within the white bones.

The hundred-odd Demon Beasts all watched it covetously, their eyes filled with greed and fervor as they stared intently at the small, blood-colored plant.

If not for the presence of the three Tier Two Low-Level Demon Beasts, the others would have already swarmed forward, fighting to the death to claim the blood-colored plant.

’A Dragon Transformation Grass? The legendary Dragon Transformation Grass that can upgrade a Demon Beast’s bloodline? This is a Second-Grade Spirit Medicine! Little White would be so happy if I gave it to him!’ Jiang Chen licked his lips, a slight smile on his face. He immediately stopped concealing himself and swaggered down onto the colossal skeleton.

...

The horde of beasts was completely stunned.

The three Tier Two Demon Beasts stared with wide eyes. They had discovered the Dragon Transformation Grass long ago, but the three of them were wary of one another and had held back, resulting in a stalemate.

They never expected a human to just show up out of nowhere!

This was snatching food from the tiger’s mouth!

"ROAR! Human, get the hell down here!" a Tier Two Low-Level Demon Beast—a Sharp Sword Tiger—glared at Jiang Chen, roaring furiously. The stench from its breath was potent enough to topple a brick house.

HISS HISS!

A massive black python, over forty meters long, reared up, flicking its forked tongue. Its venomous eyes locked onto Jiang Chen, ready to devour him. "Human, the Dragon Transformation Grass is not for you to covet. Scram now if you want to live!"

"It’s been a while since I’ve had human flesh!"

This came from a Black Wind Lizard covered head to toe in black Scale Armor. Its four massive claws were like iron pillars, and its steps rang out with a metallic CLANG.

The Black Wind Lizard ran its scarlet tongue over its lips, drool dripping from its maw. In its eyes, Jiang Chen was nothing more than a plump, delicious meal.

Jiang Chen swept a cool gaze over the three Demon Beasts. His aura flared as he spoke with utter dominance, "Listen up. I’m taking this Dragon Transformation Grass. Scram if you want to live. Piss me off, and I’ll slaughter every last one of you to make soup for my Little White!"

...

The three Demon Beasts were furious. They exchanged a look, and the Black Wind Lizard gave a sinister laugh. "We can decide who gets the Dragon Transformation Grass later. First, let’s deal with this suicidal human!"

"A noisy fly. Let’s just swat it."

"My minions, attack!" The Sharp Sword Tiger swiped its paw authoritatively. At its command, the lesser Demon Beasts roared and surged forward.

"You suicidal fools!"

Jiang Chen sneered. With a crisp SNAP of his fingers, the Cyan Blade Sword fell into his hand. A sharp light glinted in his deep eyes. He flicked his blade, making it ring, and announced, "Flowing Light... Thunderbolt..."

Flowing Light Technique...

Thunderbolt Technique...

Instant Sword...

His sword moved like a shooting star, a streak of light that tore through the air. The base of the cliff erupted with bloodcurdling screams and howls of agony.

Splashes of blood seemed to glisten under the hazy moonlight, dazzlingly bright!

Jiang Chen’s sword was fast and deadly. The Tier One Demon Beasts couldn’t withstand a single strike; their only fate was to be slaughtered. Within a dozen breaths, all one hundred Tier One Demon Beasts had been cut down, their cold corpses lying in pools of blood.

Jiang Chen stood amidst the blood and corpses. With a flick of his blade, he pointed it at the three Tier Two Demon Beasts. "Now it’s your turn!"

ROAR!

The Black Wind Lizard let out a furious roar. The raised scales on its back, like miniature volcanoes, began to spew gusts of scorching black wind. "Human!" it bellowed, its voice dripping with brutal fury, "You dare slaughter my kin? I will tear you limb from limb!"

Dark clouds gathered as the black wind howled.

The Black Wind Lizard, shrouded in a maelstrom of black wind, charged madly toward Jiang Chen.

The black wind was laced with a deadly poison!

Wherever it passed, the very earth was corroded, leaving nothing but scorched ground billowing black smoke.

CLANG!

Jiang Chen’s sword flashed. The sharp Sword Qi struck the Black Wind Lizard’s body but left only a white mark on its tough Scale Armor. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. ’What sturdy scales. This would be excellent material for crafting battle armor. I’ll have to peel them off to take with me later.’

"ROAR! Human, you can’t even scratch my defenses! Now, die!" The Black Wind Lizard opened its maw and spewed a black tornado straight at Jiang Chen.

"Your breath is foul!"

Jiang Chen snorted, his expression cold as he raised his sword to meet the attack.

HUMMM!

A cyan glow pulsed from the Cyan Blade Sword as the profound runes on its blade flared with brilliant light. It shot forward. Upon impact with the black tornado, the Sword Aura vibrated violently, sending out ripples of Sword Qi. With a deafening BOOM, the tornado was blasted apart.

The Sword Aura’s momentum was unbroken.

It shot into the Black Wind Lizard’s gaping maw. The beast’s body shuddered, and two streams of blood spurted from its bulging eyes. Its heavy body crashed to the ground with a THUD, motionless. If one could peer inside the Black Wind Lizard’s body, they would find that while its exterior was intact, its internal organs had been turned to mush.

"H-Holy shit... Black Wind’s defense was so tough, but he couldn’t even take one hit? This human is way too strong!" The Sharp Sword Tiger’s eyes bulged, its whiskers trembling in terror.

The great black python stared intently at Jiang Chen, its gaze wavering. "Tiger, do you have any confidence in fighting him?"

"Fight my ass! You and I are about as strong as Black Wind was. Even he couldn’t survive a single clash. If we team up, we’ll just last a few more rounds at best..." the Sharp Sword Tiger rolled its eyes, its expression one of utter exasperation.

The great black python’s eyes darted about. Flicking its scarlet tongue, it addressed Jiang Chen, who had already turned his gaze upon them. "Your Excellency’s strength is indeed profound. I will yield this Dragon Transformation Grass to you!"

As it spoke, it began to slither away.

PFFT!

The great python had just turned when a flash of sword light pierced through its head. Its massive body slammed heavily onto the ground, all signs of life extinguished.

Jiang Chen planted a foot on the dead python’s head. "When I want something," he said coolly, "do I need your permission to take it?" A smirk touched his lips as he turned to the Sharp Sword Tiger. "Now, what should I do with you?" he mused. "Hmm... My Little White is quite interested in things like... tiger penis soup..."

Before he even finished speaking, the once-majestic Sharp Sword Tiger was already prostrating on the ground, its body flat against the dirt. It squinted its eyes, its face contorted into a disturbingly human-like, fawning expression. "Great King, spare me! Please, Great King, spare this Little Sword’s life! If you spare me, this Little Sword is willing to work like a dog for you!"

"..." Jiang Chen’s lip twitched. ’What the hell? Is this really the Sharp Sword Tiger, the King of Hundred Beasts?’

’Are you just a sickly kitten in a tiger’s skin?’

The Sharp Sword Tiger groveled on the ground, wriggling its body like a caterpillar as it sidled up to Jiang Chen. It then rubbed its enormous head against his calf. "Great King, Little Sword can warm your bed and act cute! Please, just take me with you!"

...

Jiang Chen rubbed his forehead. "I’m not into that kind of thing with beasts, so what good is a bed-warmer to me? Give me something practical. If you can’t offer me a good reason to spare your life, I’m just going to slaughter you and make that tiger penis soup for Little White!"

"No, wait!"

The Sharp Sword Tiger grew anxious, clutching Jiang Chen’s leg with its paws. Its bright eyes darted back and forth. Suddenly, they lit up. "Great King, I-I just remembered something! About nine hundred kilometers from here, there’s a strange place. Black Wind and the other one went there with me, but we couldn’t get anywhere near it. We’re sure there must be treasure inside!"

"Oh?"

A glint appeared in Jiang Chen’s eyes.

The Sharp Sword Tiger and the Black Wind Lizard were both Tier Two Demon Beasts, comparable to humans at the True Martial Realm. A place that even they couldn’t approach had to be extraordinary.

At this thought, a grin spread across Jiang Chen’s face. "Alright. As long as you’re not lying, I’ll let you live."

"I wouldn’t dare! This Little Sword would never dare deceive you, Great King!"

The Sharp Sword Tiger nodded profusely. It helped Jiang Chen dig up the Dragon Transformation Grass, handing it over with extreme care. Then, with Jiang Chen on its back, it quickly bounded off into the distance...