Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

"Demon Blood Soul Stone?"

Hearing Little White’s reminder, Jiang Chen froze for a moment, his expression turning grave.

The Demon Blood Soul Stone.

It was an incredibly unique Profound Weapon. However, the technique to create a Demon Blood Soul Stone was extremely special and had been lost for many years. As a result, every Demon Blood Soul Stone was exceedingly rare and priceless.

To create a Demon Blood Soul Stone, one had to take a living Demon Beast, slice open its body, and extract the Demon Core just before its death.

Then...

...a Secret Technique was used to draw out the Demon Beast’s Demon Soul and seal it within the Demon Core.

Only after being refined with a special method could it be successfully created!

Once a Demon Blood Soul Stone was successfully created, the Demon Soul’s power was completely sealed inside, and the soul itself would fall into a dormant state.

The Demon Soul could only be awakened if someone activated the Demon Blood Soul Stone with a Secret Technique!

If the sealed Demon Beast was a Tier Two Medium Demon Beast, then when the Demon Blood Soul Stone was activated, the awakened Demon Soul would also possess the strength of a Tier Two Medium Demon Beast. More importantly, the awakened Demon Soul was completely obedient to the powerhouse who activated it and was utterly fearless of death.

A Tier Two Medium Demon Beast wasn’t terrifying on its own, but one that was hell-bent on taking you down with it? That was a different story!

"Heh heh heh, I didn’t expect a little beast like you to know so much... That’s right! This is a Demon Blood Soul Stone, a gift from my Young Master, meant specifically to deal with you! Jiang Chen, just lie down and die! Hahahaha..." Zhao Lin’s face twisted into a savage sneer, his eyes glittering with cruelty and malice.

BOOM—

The Divine Patterns on the Demon Blood Soul Stone glowed ever brighter as rays of crimson light erupted from within, causing the stone to explode.

More than half of Sunset Slope was drenched in the crimson glow.

The entire area resembled an Asura Purgatory!

"ROAR!"

A Blood Shadow shot out from the exploded Demon Blood Soul Stone with astonishing speed, soaring straight into the sky.

A cloud of blood-red mist condensed.

As the mist slowly dissipated, the crimson figure’s true form was revealed. It had the shape of a magnificent lion with a back like a mountain ridge. Its four hooves were wreathed in crimson True Flame as it stood in the air. It was a Tier Two Medium Demon Beast—the Blazing Flame Copper Lion!

The Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul hovered in the sky, flames blazing furiously from its hooves.

Though it was only a Demon Soul, its aura was immense, comparable to that of a living True Martial Realm Fifth Stage expert!

"Hahaha, Jiang Chen, are you scared now? Heh heh, if you’re scared, then get on your knees and beg me to spare your worthless life! Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll even order the Blazing Flame Copper Lion to be merciful and leave your corpse intact!" Zhao Lin said smugly, the Blazing Flame Copper Lion giving him an immense surge of confidence.

This Blazing Flame Copper Lion was comparable to a True Martial Realm Fifth Stage expert, after all!

And what’s more...

...the Demon Soul summoned through the Demon Blood Soul Stone was completely obedient to him and fearless of death. Even if Zhao Lin ordered it to grab Jiang Chen and self-destruct, the Blazing Flame Copper Lion wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

That was why Zhao Lin was so confident!

"It’s over... we’re finished. A Tier Two Medium Demon Beast... Forget the boss, not even the Yulan City Lord or General Wang would be a match for it if they were here!" a powerhouse from the City Lord’s Mansion wailed in despair.

A soldier clad in the battle armor of the Red Flame Army turned pale, his face drained of all color. "I thought we’d escape this calamity once Lord Jiang Chen arrived. I never thought... we’d still have to die in the end. A Tier Two Medium Demon Beast... No matter how heaven-defying Lord Jiang Chen’s talent is, there’s no way he can be its match!"

"Little White, do you think the boss can win?" Lui Yifa asked, swallowing hard.

Little White answered without hesitation, "The Blazing Flame Copper Lion is strong, but it’s just a Demon Soul. The boss still has a chance!"

Even Little White and Lui Yifa, who usually had blind faith in Jiang Chen, were not optimistic about his chances. This was to say nothing of the Qinghuo Gang’s experts. These Martial Arts Realm masters had been shocked by Jiang Chen’s decisive actions earlier, but seeing Zhao Lin summon such a powerful Demon Soul, their confidence surged once more.

"Jiang Chen is a dead man!"

"That’s the Demon Soul of a Blazing Flame Copper Lion, a Tier Two Medium Demon Beast! Unless a miracle happens, there’s no way out for him but death!"

Each of the Qinghuo Gang’s experts was brimming with confidence.

Jiang Chen, in contrast, remained perfectly calm. He stared at the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul, his Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil flickering with a strange golden light. "The Demon Soul of a Blazing Flame Copper Lion, a Tier Two Medium Demon Beast. Is this the trump card Zhao Qiankun left for you to use against me? He’s quite the big spender. A Demon Blood Soul Stone like this must be worth at least several million taels on the open market, wouldn’t you say? And to think I’m about to destroy those millions with my own two hands... It’s almost a shame!"

"Fuck! You think you can defeat the Blazing Flame Copper Lion? You’re delusional!"

"You don’t know your own limits! In that case, I’ll let you have a taste of the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s might..."

Zhao Lin’s face turned livid. He had expected Jiang Chen to immediately drop to his knees and beg for mercy after he summoned the Blazing Flame Copper Lion. But Jiang Chen showed no respect for either the lion or himself. This filled Zhao Lin with immense humiliation and fury. With a dark expression, he waved his hand and roared, "Blazing Flame Copper Lion, kill Jiang Chen for me!"

"ROAR!"

The Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul loomed in the sky. Its massive body, a dozen meters long, swung its tail in a sudden, vicious lash toward Jiang Chen.

The tail was wreathed in scorching fire. Wherever the flaming appendage passed, the intense heat instantly melted solid rock into magma.

A direct hit from that would have skinned even a True Martial Realm Powerhouse alive!

"Get back!" Jiang Chen’s eyes turned cold as he let out a low roar that cracked like thunder.

His Cyan Blade Sword pulsed with Sword Aura. With a single slash, he sent out waves of sword-shadows that formed a layered storm of Sword Auras, crashing against the lion’s tail.

The destructive power of the flaming tail was astonishing, and it shattered the sharp Sword Auras to pieces.

A full ninety-nine waves of the Sword Aura storm were destroyed before the ferocious momentum of the flaming tail was finally halted.

A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Chen’s eyes. ’What incredible power!’

This was the first time he had faced such a difficult opponent since mastering Wind Fluctuation.

Seeing this, Zhao Lin sneered triumphantly, "Weren’t you being arrogant? You can barely block the first strike! Just lie down and die!" He then roared at the beast, "Blazing Flame Copper Lion, burn your Demon Soul and wipe Jiang Chen from the face of this earth!"

"ROAR!"

With a furious roar, the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s crimson flames swelled, its body ballooning to a full twenty meters in length as the fire surged toward the heavens.

It now looked like a true lion of blazing fire!

It was burning its Demon Soul, exhausting all of its power to deliver a fatal blow to Jiang Chen.

A living Blazing Flame Copper Lion would never do such a thing, but as it was now merely a puppet, it dared not disobey Zhao Lin in the slightest!

By burning its Demon Soul, the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s combat strength surged once more, now reaching a level comparable to the peak of the True Martial Realm Fifth Stage.

"Heaven-Burning Fire!"

The Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul, now enveloped in crimson flames like a massive, burning fireball, charged at Jiang Chen. The scorching heat seemed to boil the very air. Plants withered, and white smoke rose from the ground as it was baked dry and began to crack.

It charged at Jiang Chen with unstoppable momentum, ready to sacrifice everything to take him down with it!

"I wouldn’t be afraid of a living Blazing Flame Copper Lion, so why would I fear a mere remnant soul?" Jiang Chen’s expression was cold as he unleashed a flurry of attacks.

Sword-light flared as he unleashed one powerful Sword Technique after another.

But they had little effect!

The Blazing Flame Copper Lion didn’t slow down in the slightest, continuing its mad rush as if to devour Jiang Chen whole.

Zhao Lin’s face twisted into an excited, savage grin. "Hahaha, Jiang Chen, stop wasting your effort! The Blazing Flame Copper Lion is only a Demon Soul. Your Sword Techniques are powerful, but they’re far less effective against a spiritual body. You can’t possibly defeat it!"

"A Demon Soul?"

Jiang Chen paused, then a mysterious smile spread across his face as he looked at Zhao Lin. "I should thank you for the reminder. Physical attacks have little effect on a Demon Soul... but what about a Divine Thought Attack?"

As the thought occurred to him...

Jiang Chen retracted his sword. Two streaks of crimson-gold light flashed in his eyes as he pushed his Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil to its absolute limit. Two Divine Thought Blades formed within his pupils and shot forth.

BZZZT—

The Divine Thought Blades were formless and colorless, weapons forged from potent Spiritual Power. They soared through the air and, with a sharp SWISH, struck the Blazing Flame Copper Lion.

"ROAR—"

The Blazing Flame Copper Lion, which had ignored his Sword Techniques, trembled violently the moment the Divine Thought Blade struck it, letting out a pained howl. A look of delight appeared on Jiang Chen’s face as he unleashed two more Divine Thought Blades. With two sharp THWACKS, they struck the lion one after another. The Blazing Flame Copper Lion wailed in agony as the flames around it receded back into its body.

Its icy eyes were now filled with agony. Its spiritual body had been brutally sliced into three pieces, and its immense Demon Soul power began to dissipate!

As it saw Jiang Chen forming a fourth Divine Thought Blade, the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul wailed, and with a WHOOSH, it dove back into the Demon Blood Soul Stone. The stone’s crimson light imploded, and it fell silent once more.

The excitement on Zhao Lin’s face vanished, replaced by stunned disbelief. His jaw hung open. "H-How can this be?" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Victory had been right in front of him. How could the tables have turned so suddenly?

The Qinghuo Gang members were equally baffled. "Wh-What’s happening? Weren’t we about to win? Why did the Blazing Flame Copper Lion suddenly flee...?"

Zhao Lin glared at Jiang Chen with eyes full of hatred, roaring hysterically, "What did you do? What in the world just happened?"

"Go ask Yama in Hell!"

Jiang Chen’s icy voice rang in their ears.

It was the last thing they ever heard. A flash of sword-light streaked past their eyes, and every single Qinghuo Gang expert, including Zhao Lin, had their throats slit. Not one was spared as they were sent to the Yellow Springs...