Sovereign Of The Three Realms Chapter 711-720

 

Sovereign Of The Three Realms

(SOTR)

  

Chapter 711: Gathering at Infant Shriek

“Is that Jiang Chen kid trying to commit suicide? Infant Shriek is a one way street. The deeper one goes, the more terrifying it becomes. If he really entered Infant Shriek, then he’s only cutting off his own path of retreat. Even if we don’t kill him, he won’t be able to hold out on his own. He’ll scurry out by himself,” an Eternal Celestial Capital member was quick to point out the advantages. While he sounded like he was talking about Jiang Chen, he was actually trying to give Gong Wuji a reminder. At the same time, he also doubted if the pair of wandering cultivators they were chasing was really Jiang Chen and his companion. If he really was Jiang Chen, he should be speeding along the path to Veluriyam Capital, not dallying around Infant Shriek. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Holy King Gong Wuji might have made an error in judgment this time.

Naturally, Gong Wuji understood the connotations as he coolly glanced at the man, “You don’t need to doubt anything. I don’t speak without good reason. If I wasn’t confident in my decision, would I have left the other two pairs behind and focused the bulk of our forces on this target?”

Gong Wuji couldn’t be bothered to explain any further. He waved his hand and said, “We depart!” This time, he had made better plans and brought more men with him. Moreover, he had made all kinds of preparations to capture Jiang Chen. He had even prepared restriction talismans to specifically counter escape talismans. Gong Wuji refused to believe that he would fail to trap Jiang Chen again with such powerful talismans in hand and the help of so many emperor realm domains!

He’d brought five emperor realm cultivators from the Eternal Celestial Capital alone and about a dozen or so Great Scarlet Mid Region sect heads as well. Each one was an emperor realm cultivator. Although these sect heads were only initial stage emperor realm, that didn’t change the fact that they were still emperor realm cultivators. An emperor realm cultivator could crush a sage realm cultivator as easily as snacking on beans. Even if Jiang Chen was an exception to this rule, Gong Wuji refused to believe that he could escape again!

The Eternal Celestial Capital hadn’t travelled far before the Ninesuns Sky Sect showed up in droves. It was obvious that the Ninesuns Sky Sect had requested reinforcements from all sides and gathered many experts in just three days time. They too boasted a dozen or so emperor realm cultivators. Two more cultivators around Elder Hao’s level had joined the group as well. One of the middle-aged cultivator had a sharp countenance and eyes that brimmed with the greatest killing intent of them all.

“Elder Hao, are you sure this direction is right?” The middle-aged cultivator asked.

“Are you not confident in my abilities, ole brother Cao? We Ninesuns Sky Sect may not have a clue where Jiang Chen was, but following Gong Wuji’s men is still well within our abilities.” Elder Hao was obviously wary of this middle-aged man.

“I hope that idiot Gong Wuji isn’t chasing after the wrong person!” This middle-aged man was named Cao Meng. He was Cao Jin’s uncle and the strongest person in the Cao clan. His cultivation wasn’t in any way weaker than Elder Hao’s.

Cao Jin had been the Cao clan’s brightest hope, their chance to rise within the Ninesuns Sky Sect. However, he had suddenly perished for seemingly no good reason. Naturally, Cao Meng had been thrown into utter despair by this outcome and had a bone deep hatred of Cao Jin’s murderer. Although he still wasn’t sure if Jiang Chen was the murderer of his nephew, Cao Meng wasn’t going to let a suspect go free!

Elder Hao reminded him, “Ole brother Cao, Jiang Chen is of the utmost importance. We need to capture him alive and interrogate him later. We must place the sect before our personal grudges. Once we’ve figured out all the mysteries behind this kid, the sect won’t stop you from doing whatever you want to him.”

Cao Meng paused for a moment and nodded, “I understand my priorities.”

Elder Hao seized the opportunity to add, “Our main obstacle in catching Jiang Chen this time is the people of the Eternal Celestial Capital. That Gong Wuji…”

Cao Meng harrumphed coldly, “If Gong Wuji doesn’t recognize the situation, I don’t mind sending him on his way to the next life. What do you say, big brother Sun?”

A fat man next to Cao Meng chuckled, “Of course I will obey your instructions. After all, you’ve so kindly invited me to fight alongside you. Gong Wuji? Do us brothers really need to fear someone like him?”

This fat man was Cao Meng’s sworn brother. They shared almost the same level of strength, and he was a good friend that Cao Meng had purposely brought along to help him. The Ninesuns Sky Sect’s overall strength now surpassed Gong Wuji’s side. Cao Meng was pleased to see his old friend showing him this much face. He responded to Elder Hao, “We shouldn’t tarry any longer. Let us catch up to them quickly.”

Elder Hao nodded, “Judging from their route, they’re probably heading for the northwest. According to our map, there’s a dangerous valley in that direction. I believe it was called Infant Shriek.”

“Who cares about some dangerous place? I refuse to believe that the Swordland Region would a place dangerous enough to threaten first rank sect experts of the Upper Eight Regions like us,” Cao Meng was so anxious to take revenge for his nephew that he couldn’t wait even a moment longer.

…...

At the entrance of Infant Shriek, Jiang Chen carefully extended his consciousness and displayed a gratified smile on his face. “Gong Wuji, ah Gong Wuji, thank goodness you’re not completely stupid. You’ve actually shown up according to the clues and flaws I’d intentionally left behind for you. Good, very good.”

Jiang Chen smiled slightly. He had arranged countless Goldbiter Rats along the way to act as his eyes and ears. Even if Gong Wuji had somehow headed off in the wrong direction, Jiang Chen would’ve figured out a way to bring him back to the his carefully baited path. “Hmm? There’s another party of pursuers other than the Eternal Celestial Capital? The Ninesuns Sky Sect! I knew it would be them. Haha, just as I thought, these two sects haven’t given up on me. I guess they’ve temporarily set aside their grudges to aim their wrath at me?”

Even as Jiang Chen’s thoughts spun, he immediately guessed that the Ninesuns Sky Sect and the Eternal Celestial Capital must not have reconciled with each other. This also meant that it was impossible for them to cooperate perfectly with each other. The situation had become even better for Jiang Chen. After all, the two sects would now be tripping over each other.

“Miss Huang’er, are you interested in venturing into this dangerous valley with me?” Jiang Chen very courteously asked for Huang’er’s opinion.

Huang’er smiled charmingly, “We have travelled through countless rivers and mountains. Why would I possibly fear a single valley?”

They exchanged smiles and then shot straight into the valley as two rays of light.

The Eternal Celestial Capital showed up roughly fifteen minutes later.

Gong Wuji unleashed his consciousness in full and inspected the surroundings for a moment. A joyful look sprung onto his face, “This is the place. They were here just fifteen minutes ago. The tracker mark shows that they have already entered the valley.”

“Are we really going inside, my lord?” The cautious Eternal Celestial Capital expert asked again.

Gong Wuji was furious, “Are you afraid?”

The man smiled wryly, “I’m just worried that…”

“There’s nothing to be worried about. I’ve arranged everything properly this time, so what is there to be worried about? The biggest reason we failed to capture Jiang Chen again and again was because we were overcautious! This time, we must be firm and see our plans through to the end! We must capture Jiang Chen at any cost!” Had Gong Wuji just been on a path of personal revenge, his emotional state may have denied him the charisma to lead a group two thousand strong into this dangerous place. However, he knew very well that one of the reasons he desperately needed to capture Jiang Chen was because of the boy’s connection to the Paramount Realm.

He might not be completely sure that Emperor Featherflight’s inheritance was in the Paramount Realm, or that Jiang Chen even had anything to do with Emperor Featherflight’s inheritance. But even if there was the tiniest connection between the two, he had all the reason in the world to take Jiang Chen into custody!

The expert noticed that he wasn’t going to be able to stop Gong Wuji. He also knew that he might be killed on the spot if he were to go against Gong Wuji’s wishes right now. Left without a choice, he could only charge into the valley with Gong Wuji. Those of the Great Scarlet Mid Region sects didn’t think too deeply about it. If Gong Wuji himself had gone in, what reason did they have to stay outside?

The people of the Eternal Celestial Capital hadn’t entered the valley long before the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s group charged into the valley as well. The normally desolate and uninhabited Valley of Infant Shriek instantly became rather crowded and noisy.

Jiang Chen and Huang’er quickened their pace for a little. After scanning their surroundings, Huang’er couldn’t help but remind Jiang Chen, “Sir Jiang, this place is incredibly dangerous. There are dangers lurking around every corner.”

Jiang Chen smiled, “That’s exactly why I had you refine a drop of cicada blood. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to let you accompany me into this dangerous place.”

The cicada’s blood was immune to all poison, and this valley was chock full of poisonous things and creatures. However, the stranger a place was, the higher the likelihood that it contained all sorts of precious and rare herbs. It was no wonder that some pill masters couldn’t resist entering such places even though they knew of its dangers. Huang’er was just about to say something when something registered on her consciousness. She blurted out, “They’ve caught up with us.”

Huang’er’s consciousness was extremely powerful. She quickly discovered that a large group of Eternal Celestial Capital members was approaching them.

“Mm, I’ve been waiting for quite a while now. Let’s keep walking.” Jiang Chen extended his consciousness fully and searched his surroundings. At the same time, he told Huang’er, “Miss Huang’er, please don’t use your consciousness unless we don’t have a choice. You only need to follow me for now.”

Jiang Chen didn’t wish for Huang’er to use her consciousness. Hearing how certain Jiang Chen was, Huang’er found herself very willing to believe in him at this moment, even though she normally didn’t like relying on other people. She followed Jiang Chen as they travelled faster and faster.

The pursuit went on for a while, and before they knew it, they’d progressed several hundred kilometers into the valley. Jiang Chen observed the surrounding terrain and found that they were surrounded by dense forest and valley mist. It looked like a world of illusions.

“About time,” Jiang Chen suddenly smiled as he halted.

“Hahaha!” Gong Wuji’s wild and cruel laughter suddenly rang through the air. “Jiang Chen, you brat! I have no idea what you were thinking by coming into such a place, but I guess it no longer matters. You will not escape me this time!”

Coming out of the valley mist, Gong Wuji stretched out his hand, holding the restriction talisman in his hand. At the same time, shadows shot out of the mist to land around Jiang Chen and Huang’er, sealing off the land within a five kilometer radius. One, two… a total of twenty or so emperor realm cultivators had completely sealed off their escape routes. Gong Wuji stared straight at Jiang Chen, “Don’t bother trying to hide yourself or talk your way out of this, brat!”

Jiang Chen laughed leisurely. He wasn’t surprised at all by Gong Wuji’s appearance. “I guess you aren’t too stupid after all, Gong Wuji. I thought it’d take you a while to find me here,” Jiang Chen didn’t bother trying to deny things.

When Gong Wuji heard this, his blood pressure skyrocketed. Although he was a fourth level emperor realm cultivator, he had been played for a fool again and again. He’d been truly enraged for a long time. And now this kid was obviously up a tree, but he was still putting on an act as if he was impervious to everything. This only made Gong Wuji even more furious. You are just a small fry in a fourth rank sect. How dare you still pretend to be calm before me, a holy king?

He felt that Jiang Chen should be trembling all over and begging for mercy on his knees. He should be the epitome of disgrace, snivelling for his life. But no, Jiang Chen had chosen to speak with a tone that suggested that he had been waiting for them for a very long time already. How could Gong Wuji not be enraged by this? “Brat, you think talking tough is going to save you!? Fine, let’s see how long you can keep up the act! I’ll soon make you regret being born in this world!”

Gong Wuji cackled sinisterly as he started to walk forward.

Chapter 712: A Three Way Match-Up

Not only had Jiang Chen killed his beloved grandson Gong Qi, but the former had also tricked Gong Wuji repeatedly during the past half year. Unintentional or not, the constant vexation had coalesced to the point where it was nearly an internal demon. Gong Wuji was no fool. He would take this opportunity to vent out everything.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Chen laughed with disdain. “Gong Wuji, it seems you have not lost your penchant for boasting. I still remember your insufferable arrogance back at the Regal Pill Palace when you claimed that you didn't kill anyone, but it was all the same if I wanted to blame you. Isn’t that right? Didn't you also say something about the strong preying on the weak while demanding my obedient surrender? Later on, when your grandson fell into my hands, what was it that you said? You said that if I touched a single hair of his, you would shatter my mind and leave me in a state of utter despair where I can neither live nor die. Do I remember all of that correctly?”

Words that had once been proudly spoken by Gong Wuji were recited back verbatim in a very similar tone of voice. The bystanders were shocked silly. This was absolute face slapping!

Jiang Chen laughed, and continued talking in that same leisurely tone. “But as you can see, I’m still doing rather well. What can you do to me, hmm?”

Even as enemies, the Great Scarlet Mid Region sects couldn’t help but admire Jiang Chen’s boldness. How was he still able to maintain such an imposing attitude in these circumstances?!

Jiang Chen swept a cold look across the various sect heads of the Great Scarlet Mid Region. “Sect heads of the Thunder Note Hall and Great Roc Sect, you both had a hand in killing my fellow disciples and exterminating the Regal Pill Palace, no?”

The Thunder Note Hall and the Great Roc sect heads were both emperor realm cultivators. But when Jiang Chen’s glacial eyes swept across them, a chill rippled across their hearts. It was as if every secret of theirs had been laid bare. The sensation caused their hair to stand on end. If they weren’t convinced before, they were now absolutely certain that they needed to kill this evil brat then and there, otherwise endless misfortune would snap at their heels in the future. If he was able to invoke such a terrifying sense of peril at mere initial sage realm, it was likely that he’d be able to threaten the fate of their entire sect if he was allowed to develop further.

Kill! We must kill this brat! Killing intent surged in the hearts of those on Gong Wuji’s side. The head of the Thunder Note Hall laughed. “Brat, so what if we exterminated your Regal Pill Palace? So what if we killed your fellow disciples? Do you still think you’ll be lucky enough to escape today?”

Jiang Chen was furious, but concealed his fury with a laugh instead. “Very good. As long as you dare admit to your crimes. Killing Ding Rong that day was just a small advance payment on interest. I’ll have you all repay both principal and interest today! But don’t worry, I’ll also raze the Thunder Note Hall to the roots so that you won’t be lonely on the road to the underworld!”

“Brat, what insolence!” The moment Ding Rong was brought up, the head of the Thunder Note Hall felt bitter pain grip his heart. He turned toward Gong Wuji and said, “Sire, please give the order!”

Just as Gong Wuji was about to give the order, Jiang Chen suddenly laughed again. “Friends from the Ninesuns Sky Sect, if you’re already here, why stay hidden? You want to hide and reap the benefits, playing the oriole while the mantis stalks the cicada? Isn’t the strategy a little too cliche?”

Gong Wuji also knew the Ninesuns Sky Sect was behind them, but he hadn’t wanted to expose them yet since his primary objective was Jiang Chen’s capture. He didn’t want to bother thinking about the aftermath. If he could capture Jiang Chen and glean clues about the Paramount Realm, he would’ve rendered a great service to the sect. If by any chance the Paramount Realm was truly related to Emperor Featherflight’s inheritance, they would benefit greatly! He couldn’t care less about anyone else’s survival. Sacrificing some cannon fodder was necessary in order to achieve big aspirations!

Gong Wuji’s heart sank after seeing Jiang Chen expose the presence of the Ninesuns Sky Sect. Most of those from the Eternal Celestial Capital were bewildered. They had no idea that the Ninesuns Sky Sect had been tailing them.

“Hahaha, it is indeed that new talent springs forth in the lands with every generation. It truly amazes me that a mere Myriad Domain was able to produce a devil like you!” As Elder Hao spoke, the emperor realm cultivators from the Ninesuns Sky Sect descended into the open space. They approached the central area with large strides, completely ignoring the group from the Eternal Celestial Capital. Cao Jin’s uncle, Cao Meng, stood beside Elder Hao with a solemn expression. His gaze was locked on Jiang Chen, calculating and appraising, all the while completely ignoring those from the Eternal Celestial Capital. This arrogant attitude elicited nothing less than complete fury from the forces of the Eternal Celestial Capital.

“You, Hao! Why are you still clinging to us like a leech?!” Gong Wuji asked furiously.

Elder Hao shot a glance at Gong Wuji before replying with an expressionless face. “Gong Wuji, I have no time to exchange superfluous words with you. Hand over Ocean Cover, round up your men and get out of my sight!”

The two had actually held back a lot during their conflict in Tai-ah City. While they had been angry with each other, they had still maintained a modicum of decorum. But that intense battle had established an obvious enmity between the two, despite the knowledge that it had been instigated by a third party. Moreover, each side was fully aware of the other’s true motives. Hence, Elder Hao no longer had any reservations, but his attitude invited a plethora of curses from the Eternal Celestial Capital.

“Bullshit, you’re the ones who should scram!”

“What the hell are you on, huh?! Do you think the Ninesuns Sky Sect is so great? You think we’re afraid of you!?”

Elder Hao laughed coldly and shot Cao Meng a meaningful glance. “Ole brother Cao, it seems those from the Eternal Celestial Palace aren’t convinced?”

Cao Meng cackled nastily, his frosty gaze sweeping across everyone as h e released his emperor realm aura. “Who’s not convinced? Step out and we’ll have a chat!”

Cao Meng’s sworn brother possessed strength that was more or less equal to Cao Meng. He naturally wouldn't stay idle after seeing Cao Meng take action and promptly released his aura as well. Together, a double wave of emperor realm aura swept outwards crashing against the Eternal Celestial Capital cultivators like raging tides against the shore.

The two cultivators were no weaker than Elder Hao, and were about the same level as Gong Wuji. Although Gong Wuji was powerful, the Eternal Celestial Capital had no other mid emperor realm cultivators on their side. However, the large number of initial emperor realm cultivators by his side were not to be trifled with either. They also activated their emperor realm auras to resist Cao Meng. Elder Hao snorted. “Are you trying to oppress us with superior numbers?”

With a whistle, reinforcements from the Ninesuns Sky Sect appeared one after another to join their ranks. The Ninesuns Sky Sect also possessed a fair number of initial emperor realm cultivators. They took the lead as reinforcements as hundreds of cultivators poured into Infant Shriek.

Both Cao Meng and Gong Wuji were taken aback when their auras clashed, each realizing that the other was a formidable adversary. Jiang Chen was also dumbfounded after seeing the sudden development. He wasn’t expecting the two forces to start fighting immediately after he exposed the Ninesuns Sky Sect. The scene playing out before him was well beyond his expectations.

Elder Hao, on the other hand, hadn’t moved a single inch. He stood there seemingly observing the battle while, in fact, his consciousness was securely locked onto Jiang Chen and was observing his every move. The moment Jiang Chen revealed the slightest signs of trying to escape, Elder Hao would capture him with swift ferocity.

But contrary to his expectations, Jiang Chen seemed to have absolutely no intention of fleeing and was instead calmly observing the ongoing battle in the midst of chaos. From beginning to end, it was as if the entire incident had nothing to do with him. He was like an outsider who was only there to spectate. Elder Hao’s mind was full of suspicions. Is this brat simply thick-skinned or absolutely reckless? He still has the mood to watch the show even at this critical juncture? The more Jiang Chen acted this way, the more Elder Hao felt that he shouldn’t be treated lightly.

Gong Wuji had been on Jiang Chen’s trail ever since the latter killed his grandson. Yet even after so long, he had not been able to touch a single hair on Jiang Chen’s head and had been enraged to the point of vomiting blood. This brat definitely can’t be taken lightly. He has so many trump cards in his arsenal, truly a unique entity of the Myriad Domain. Could it be…

Elder Hao’s thoughts jolted into action as he suddenly thought of a certain possibility—his heart spasming with the implications. Can it be… this brat has long since obtained Emperor Featherflight’s inheritance, which has led to his stunning rise? Otherwise, how else could a mere Myriad Domain have produced such a perverse genius?

This sudden thought, despite being far-fetched, took root in Elder Hao’s mind. It was unremovable and only increased in magnitude. “No matter, I definitely have to capture this brat alive and rip out all of his secrets one by one!” Elder Hao produced a restriction talisman with a thought. Just when he was about to take action, Gong Wuji shouted loudly. “Stop Hao! I’ll pin these two down!”

Although Gong Wuji was clashing auras with Cao Meng, he had been mindful of Elder Hao’s every move. He was shaken after seeing signs that the latter was about to take action. Even though Cao Meng’s party was powerful and Gong Wuji couldn’t handle a two on one for long, it wasn’t a problem to occupy their attention for a while. Meanwhile, the others would have to contain Elder Hao at all costs.

Huang’er tugged lightly on Jiang Chen’s sleeves and transmitted. “Are we leaving yet?”

Jiang Chen suddenly laughed. “This play hasn’t ended yet; we’re in no rush to leave.”

Gong Wuji groaned abruptly as he expanded his domain forcefully so that he could take a few steps back. He glared firmly at Elder Hao. “Hao, are you certain you want to fight to the death against my Eternal Celestial Capital?”

He was genuinely angered now. Gong Wuji had wanted to preserve his strength at first and had refrained from going all out. But he would be hard pressed to hold back his true power at this rate. In truth, Elder Hao had only wanted to suppress the other party through his aura and intimidate them into pulling back. But the situation at hand had proven that the enemy was not easily subdued. Instead, this might escalate into another bloody battle like the last time. If that happened, the benefits would be outweighed by the losses. Their main target today was Jiang Chen. It was obviously not a good idea to exhaust all his strength in fighting with the Eternal Celestial Capital.

The silence that followed was quickly broken by Elder Hao’s shout. “I’m not afraid of you if we are to fight, but we can negotiate if you don’t wish to fight.” He refused to lose out in terms of posturing despite hoping to end the fight.

Gong Wuji only laughed coldly; he had no interest in such conversations. “I can return Ocean Cover to you and have no need of an apology from you. But I want all of you to pull back after the sword is returned. How about it?”

Elder Hao laughed heartily, as if he had just heard a good joke. His voice dropped to an indifferent tone. “Gong Wuji, let’s speak frankly. You want to avenge your dead grandson but our Ninesuns Sky Sect also wishes to avenge Cao Jin.”

“Hao, we give you an inch and you take a mile!? There is an order of priority to everything! Jiang Chen was captured by the efforts of our Eternal Celestial Capital. You want to benefit so easily out of this?! Don’t you think this goes against convention?”

Elder Hao’s expression was indolent, “So your Eternal Celestial Capital has the means to track him down, what makes you think our Ninesuns Sky Sect doesn’t also have that ability? What a joke!”

The rascal had actually denied the charge flatly. Even Jiang Chen, who was listening from the sidelines, couldn’t help but laugh at their bickering.

Chapter 713: The Crimson Heavens Formation Disk Reveals Its Might

The hostility in the atmosphere was palpable as everyone had their blades drawn. But when Jiang Chen suddenly burst into laughter, the ambience turned awkward.

“Brat, what are you so pleased about when your death is near at hand?” Gong Wuji glared at Jiang Chen.

Elder Hao didn’t bother sniping at Gong Wuji this time, casting an angry look at Jiang Chen. His countenance was the very picture of deep hatred and bitterness. “Jiang Chen, were you the one who killed our sect’s true disciple Cao Jin?”

The simultaneous questions from the two mid emperor realm cultivators was accompanied by a surge of emperor realm aura that weighed down on Jiang Chen like the Taihang mountain range and Mt. Wangwu. [1]

Even the cultivators surrounding him felt their breathing hitch and their movements flag, as if the might of heaven and earth were weighing down on them, much less than Jiang Chen. All eyes were on him. They were also curious to know if the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s true disciple had truly died in Jiang Chen’s hands. If that was indeed the case, then this brat was really too perverse! True disciples—especially those at the level of the ten great true disciples—were all at peak sage realm. Some were even half step emperor realm.

Those from the Great Scarlet Mid Region fourth rank sects suddenly developed a trace of apprehension in their hearts. The invasion of the Myriad Domain had supposed to be a steamrolling massacre, a delightful journey of annihilation. It was exactly because of the appearance of Jiang Chen that this joyful, plundering excursion had become overcast. If they failed to eliminate Jiang Chen today and allowed him ample time to develop, an unfathomable calamity would befall the sects of the Great Scarlet Mid Region.

This was especially true for the heads of the Thunder Note Hall and the Great Roc Sect. They cast encouraging glances at each other—they had to uproot this potential threat today no matter the cost! They were also secretly delighted at the same time. Fortunately, Jiang Chen had offended both first rank sects with his insufferable arrogance. It would be difficult to survive after drawing the attention of both Gong Wuji and Elder Hao!

“Brat, do you think I have no means to verify the truth as long as you don’t admit to it?” Cao Meng glared at Jiang Chen with eyes full of killing intent.

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, “And who the hell are you?”

Cao Meng was greatly incensed upon hearing this. If it wasn’t for Elder Hao repeatedly warning him about the Jiang Chen’s significance in the grand scheme of things, he would’ve killed the latter with one grand move already. He took a deep breath in. Glaring daggers at Jiang Chen, he grimly enunciated word by word, “Brat, listen up! Cao Jin is my nephew. I can immediately tell if you’ve killed a member of my Cao clan. Don’t even think about denying it!”

Jiang Chen slapped his forehead, “Then that means you’re Cao Jin’s elder?”

“Trying to kiss up to me, brat? Stop playing such tricks before it’s too late!” Cao Meng snorted coldly.

“You’re thinking too much. I just wanted to tell you that I was indeed the one who killed Cao Jin along with another fatty and a pill master.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly and was actually rather calm while admitting to the murders.

A layer of frost instantly crept over Cao Meng’s face. His eyes erupted with violent intent as he cited repeatedly, “Good, good, good… brat, it's good that you admit to things!”

Jiang Chen replied leisurely, “Oh and by the way, that Ding Tong is also one of yours right? I also killed him. Oh right, I almost forgot about the agent you planted in my Regal Pill Palace. He thought himself well hidden, but he’d long since been exposed. After entering the Paramount Realm, I conveniently sent him on his way.”

Elder Hao was shaken after he heard the words ‘Paramount Realm’ and hissed, “You killed Jun Mobai?!”

“You can put it that way,” Jiang Chen raised his hand and gestured toward everyone present, “Similarly, I have to shoulder the responsibility for all your deaths today. Do I make myself clear?”

Everyone was stunned. Cao Meng laughed heartily, “Brat, you’re having quite the pleasant dream in broad daylight!”

Gong Wuji shouted, “Don’t waste words with this brat. Suppress him first and let’s discuss things later!”

Elder Hao also nodded—he was somewhat taken aback after hearing Jiang Chen’s claims—a rush of agitation surged through his heart for unknown reasons. This kind of sensation wasn’t reasonable. However, a baffling sense of urgency had also materialized abruptly and inconceivably within his consciousness. He formed a resolute thought at that very moment. He would suppress Jiang Chen first and deal with the Eternal Celestial Capital later!

“Ole brother Cao and ole brother Sun, restrain that brat first!” Elder Hao transmitted towards Cao Meng and the cultivator surnamed Sun. All emperor realm cultivators suddenly found a clear target in the form of Jiang Chen and began to approach him.

Jiang Chen performed a series of hand seals with a single maneuver in the next moment, transforming the entire world.

“Eh? What just happened?”

“Oh no! It’s a formation!”“Where’s that brat?!” Everyone tensed up as the inconceivable had happened. Jiang Chen really had no shortage of tricks up his sleeve and had even able to activate a formation right under their eyes. Activating a formation usually necessitated certain deployment procedures and some traces of it would be observable at the site. However, they definitely hadn’t discovered such clues in the vicinity.

Gong Wuji gestured while shouting, “Don’t move around recklessly. This formation isn’t simple!”

The emperor realm cultivators behind him didn’t dare lower their guard. Elder Hao and Elder Meng’s party were off to one side, searching for Jiang Chen.

“Ole brother Cao, this little rogue actually has this level of method! It must be a powerful formation disk that can immediately simulate a formation,” Elder Hao warned. “We must be careful.”

Two masses of dark energy swept toward them like a tornado across the ground just as they were speaking. A somewhat startled Elder Hao worked in concert with Cao Meng to release a series of palm strikes. Powerful energy was thrust out amidst thunderous roars, sallying forth to meet the two incoming attacks head on.

Boom!

The released energy shot through the void but connected with nothing. The two shadowy masses, resembling venomous dragons, vanished with a flicker. The energy they released bombarded Gong Wuji’s camp.

Thump! Thump! Two initial emperor realm cultivators were suddenly struck amidst dazzling lights, sending their qi and blood into turmoil.

“Hao, what’s the meaning of this?!” Gong Wuji was greatly incensed. Although he clearly saw what had happened and knew it was likely a misunderstanding, he couldn’t sit by after seeing his men wounded.

Elder Hao sneered, “You’re not blind. Didn’t you see what happened?”

Cao Meng snorted coldly and didn’t even bother to explain, as if it was all right and proper. It didn’t matter to him whether the injury was accidental or intentional. Fortunately, Gong Wuji’s primary focus was on Jiang Chen. He only glared at the two without further debate and sniffed coldly, “Watch yourselves.”

Gong Wuji was extremely frustrated right now. He had previously received reports that Jiang Chen was somewhat proficient in formations, and that his level of expertise wasn’t particularly high. The formations he deployed formerly were only at a stage capable of causing some disruption, far from being able to trap enemies within. But as things stood, it seemed that their intelligence had grossly underestimated Jiang Chen’s talent in formations!

He was simply a devil!

Fortunately, Jiang Chen would also be unable to escape under the powerful suppressive effects of their emperor realm domain. Gong Wuji still had a restriction talisman in hand that could restrain Jiang Chen, should the latter attempt to use an escape talisman. Although the formation was extremely profound, it was obviously still an illusory formation without any destructive power. Gong Wuji’s sharp eyes swiftly discerned a few of the formation’s characteristics. He sent a mental message to his subordinates, “Don’t panic. This is only an illusory formation without any offensive power. We can break out as soon as we find its core.”

He also observed Elder Hao’s party slowly arrive at a similar conclusion. After all, they had three mid emperor realm cultivators on their side who possessed more or less the same powers of observation as Gong Wuji.

“Ole brother Cao, this Jiang Chen is truly perverse. I suspect the fortune that our sects had been seeking for thousands of years is already in his hands,” Elder Hao sent Cao Meng a voice transmission.

Cao Meng was overwhelmed, “How can that be? This brat doesn’t look at all like the heir of Emperor Featherflight’s legacy at all. Moreover, according to legends, the fortune that Emperor Featherflight obtained doesn’t have much to do with formations.”

Elder Hao also felt there was something amiss with this reasoning and gave it much thought. But, he still felt that there was no other way apart from this fortuitous encounter for the Myriad Domain to rear such a perverse talent like Jiang Chen.

“Ole brother Cao, do you still remember how an unusual phenomenon once appeared in the Myriad Domain a few years ago? An inspector of the Ninesuns Sky Sect was also visiting the sixteen kingdom alliance that day. The phenomenon was almost fully concentrated around the Precious Tree Sect, and it so happens that Jiang Chen was at the Precious Tree Sect that day!”

Cao Meng also felt rather skeptical after hearing Elder Hao’s words. “Is that really the case? If so, we have to capture this brat at all costs!”

The two arrived at a tacit understanding and became even more resolute.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen and Huang’er were standing side by side at a hidden part of the formation.

“Sir Jiang, I think I’ve seen you use this formation before. Although the mysteries remain the same, it appears to have become more than ten times more powerful,” Huang’er was greatly puzzled.

How could the same formation have undergone such an absurd degree of change? This went against all convention. Jiang Chen laughed and explained honestly. “There are two formations that follow the same path of theory.”

The one Huang’er had seen before was the Minor Artifice Formation. Jiang Chen had simulated the formation using its formation disk. It was able to slightly confuse sage realm cultivators at most. But this current one was the Major Artifice Formation, one of the ten powerful formations of the Crimson Heavens formation disk. Jiang Chen was only able to draw on a twenty percent of its power. It was insufficient to entrap and kill emperor realm experts, but more than capable of confusing them.

After all, the Crimson Heavens formation disk, along with the medallion and the formation flag were the three core treasures of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. As a legacy treasure of an ancient sect, even twenty percent of its might was sufficient to deal with these people. But much to Jiang Chen’s chagrin, he had able to only simulate the Greater Artifice Formation from the formation disk and nothing else. Because this formation was an extension of the Minor Artifice Formation, its complexity was the same.

That was also the reason why Jiang Chen was able to wield twenty percent of its power. As for the remaining nine powerful formations of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect, it was impossible for him to activate them with his current strength. Jiang Chen laughed after checking the time. “It seems these mid emperor realm cultivators do deserve their reputation. They’re about to find the core. This formation can’t hold them after all!”

The formation disk was activated again just as he was speaking. Slight changes ripped through the Great Artifice Formation.

Chapter 714: Complete Annihilation?

Formation could be split into death and life formations. Although Jiang Chen couldn’t manipulate the formation disk that flexibly, the Major Artifice Formation did possess some variation of changes. The formation disk vibrated slightly and switched the core of the formation into a different direction. This completely wasted all of Gong Wuji and Elder Hao’s previous efforts.

However, a simple change like this wouldn’t hold the enemy down for long. This was because the enemy had figured out the real intention behind the formation and that it was illusory. That was why they could search for the formation’s core without the slightest concern. As expected, the formation core couldn’t be hidden from the scans of an emperor realm consciousness, no matter how he moved it.

“It’s unfortunate that I can only use twenty percent of this formation’s true power. If it was a fully powered Major Artifice Formation, I would confound even a Titled Great Emperor.” Jiang Chen himself was feeling sorry for the formation. If the ancestors of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect learned how he was using their Major Artifice Formation, they would probably shed tears on its behalf. He was humiliating the great formation the way with his current usage.

Jiang Chen didn’t mind this for now. The real Major Artifice Formation at its peak contained all sorts of real and fake artifices that were ultimately all illusory. It could captivate a person and make them lose themselves forever in the long river that was the formation. In fact, it could even crush a person’s consciousness directly. Of course, Jiang Chen could only dream of conjuring such effects with the formation right now.

“Kid, I’ll admit that you have some skills! But this is all your final struggles!” Gong Wuji’s voice rang crazily in his ears.

Cao Meng’s sinister and hoarse voice followed right after, “Brat, I will extract your soul and refine it for 49 days straight for the killing of my nephew! I will make you suffer to the point you’d wish that you were dead!”

His hatred was not in anyway less than Gong Wuji’s. The scene before their eyes suddenly blurred as the formation vanished in the blink of an eye. The valley appeared before the crowd once more in the next instant. It was as if what they’d gone through just now was just a dream. The formation vanished, and the space returned to normal.

Everyone returned to their original place, but felt that they’d gone through an innumerable amount of time between entering and exiting the formation. When these emperor realm cultivators landed back on their feet, they were all dumbfounded by what they saw.

Out of the three thousand men both sects had brought over to hunt down Jiang Chen, all those were not at emperor realm or above had collapsed to the ground. Every one of them looked like they’d fallen into deep sleep. Their faces were peaceful, and they looked like they were in a deep and comfortable slumber.

“Why is this?” The sect heads were all emperor realm and had been pulled into the formation just now. They never expected to see this scene after exiting the formation. They all looked stupefied like they had just seen a ghost.

Gong Wuji was furious, “What are you doing? All of you, on your feet now!”

Cao Meng was also shouting over the other side, “Are you all pretending to be dead or something? Get up, get up!”

It was no wonder they were yelling the way they did, because a single sweep of their consciousness informed them that these people were very alive and in control of their minds. It was true that their consciousness were quite weak, but it was normal to have a weak consciousness when a person was asleep. However, they couldn’t help but feel a chill in their hearts as they yelled at their men.

Every one of these people were sect elites. They wouldn’t have fallen asleep without good reason. There must be a trick behind all of this! Gong Wuji had fallen for Jiang Chen’s tricks countless of times. Already used to Jiang Chen’s schemes, a nightmarish feeling blossomed from the bottom of his heart once more.

Could it be...

Gong Wuji abruptly recalled of the day Jiang Chen had single handedly taken out hundreds of Great Roc Sect and Thundernote Hall disciples with three successive attacks.

“Poison?” This terrifying word was something Gong Wuji absolutely didn’t wish to face, but it’d still popped up at first light. This situation couldn’t possibly be caused by anything else by poison!

As expected, they weren’t able to wake their men no matter how they tried. Moreover, their consciousness were growing dimmer and dimmer like candles burning to the very end. They were all rapidly being extinguished.

“Jiang Chen!” Gong Wuji could finally restrain himself no longer and vomitted a mouthful of blood! The Major Artifice Formation hadn’t dealt him any harm, but it’d completely triggered the fury that was stored beneath his bones. The clot of blood that had been stuck inside his chest for a very, very long time had finally came spewing out of his throat! A first rank sect holy king and a middle level emperor realm expert had literally vomited blood out of sheer anger!

This scene shocked all the Eternal Celestial Capital and Great Scarlet Mid Region emperor realm experts. They all cried out, “Lord Gong!’

“My lord, please take care of your health!”

Elder Hao and Cao Meng actually couldn’t find the urge to take joy in Gong Wuji’s misfortune. On the contrary, they were actually feeling sympathy for a fellow caught in a similarly miserable situation. Elder Hao’s heart was bleeding when he stared at the floor of unconscious people. Everyone he had brought with him were elites of the sect.

If they couldn’t wake up in the valley, then it wouldn’t be long before countless vicious beasts would pounce over and devour their bodies to the bone. Even if there were no vicious beasts around here to feed on them, they were most likely dead without a doubt without the right antidote, judging from the way they were being attacked by the poison.

“Elder Hao, the only way we can explain ourselves is to capture that brat!” Cao Meng said fiercely.

Elder Hao nodded, “That brat must be nearby! Use your emperor realm domains and cover the space. He can’t have gone far.”

Gong Wuji roared loudly, “Find him! Find him now! Find that brat right now!”

It was at this moment Jiang Chen appeared on a stone slab several hundred meters away from them.

“There’s no need to look for me. I’m right here,” Jiang Chen’s smile was as collected as ever.

However, his calmness was incredibly offensive to Gong Wuji. Gong Wuji grabbed his restriction talisman and crushed it immediately. There was a resounding boom as in the air in the vicinity emitted ear piercing noise. It sounded like countless giant locks had been bolted around the place. Every bit of space in the surroundings was locked down completely.

“Kid, you won’t escape this time even if you grow wings!” Gong Wuji said through gritted teeth.

“You sure are a big spender, Gong Wuji. You would waste a restriction talisman even when you are at death’s door. You really live a good life, hmm?” Jiang Chen smiled casually and then shot a glance at Elder Hao, “Hao, I know you have a restriction talisman too. This is the moment of final brilliance in your life, so you better use it now before you miss the chance to do so.”

“Utterly shameless boasting!” Blood rushed to Cao Meng’s head as he clenched his fists and yelled, “Allow me to deal with you!”

Jiang Chen stood unmoving as he stared down Cao Meng with a disdainful look on his face. It was as if Cao Meng was just a prancing clown that was absolutely beneath his attention. It was at this moment an emperor realm cultivator abruptly clutched his head with both hands and stumbled on his feet. He almost sounded like he was talking in his sleep, “Not good, why do I feel so sleepy? My consciousness is a complete mess… Ah!”

Bam!

Another person joined the crowd on the ground. Where there is a first, there will be a second. The emperor realm cultivators behind Gong Wuji began collapsing on the ground continuously, like plague-ridden chickens and ducks.

“You…” Although Gong Wuji was a mid emperor realm expert, a holy king of a first rank sect and an experienced and knowledgeable person, even he was stunned by the bizarre sight happening right before him at this moment. The initial emperor realm cultivators behind Elder Hao weren’t faring any better than Gong Wuji’s men either. They were all staggering about like drunk people before they ultimately collapsed on the ground.

“Not good! We’ve all been poisoned!” The Sun surnamed expert next to Cao Meng abruptly blurted out as his face turned pale. He hastily assumed a sitting position after saying this and attempted to drive out the poison invading his body.

The moment Cao Meng’s consciousness probed outwards, he immediately noticed a near indiscernible shadow surrounding his consciousness like black clouds covering the sky. They had enclosed his consciousness completely. “The hell are these things?” Cao Meng was scared out of his wits. He too assumed a sitting position and fought to drive out the bizarre poison that was invading his consciousness.

Gong Wuji and Elder Hao had also sensed the same thing. They turned as pale as if they’d seen a ghost. Gong Wuji raised his eyebrows and glared at Jiang Chen, “Are you the one who caused all this?”

Jiang Chen smiled indifferently, “Don’t you think your question is a little too naive?”

Gong Wuji said furiously, “What are you looking so pleased about, brat?! I still have the power to kill you even if I’m poisoned! Hand over that antidote right now if you’re smart about it!”

“Jiang Chen, give us the antidote and I will guarantee your survival!” Elder Hao also said heavily.

Jiang Chen laughed and said, “Oh dear, I’m soooo scared! Are you two threatening me?”

Gong Wuji could sense that that shadow encroaching steadily closer. The moment it entered his mind would be the moment the poison took him. “Elder Hao, let us not fight each other anymore. Let’s kill this kid and snatch the antidote first before we discuss anything else. Is that fine?”

No matter how much enmity they shared with each other, they had no choice but to set aside past grievances and work together in order to survive. Elder Hao nodded seriously, “That is how it should be!” He then stared closely at Jiang Chen, “You have one last chance, Jiang Chen. Hand over the antidote, and we will guarantee your life! Otherwise, not even ten of you can endure the full power attack of two mid emperor realm experts!” His words might be fierce, but it was obvious that it was more bark than bite. They weren’t even sure at the moment if they could kill Jiang Chen, even if attacking at full force. If he simply activated his formation again and delayed them for a little, their attacks wouldn’t land on Jiang Chen, forgetting thought of all else.

As expected, not only did Jiang Chen not look afraid in the face of their threats, but he even stared mockingly at them. “The antidote? You guys are still daydreaming about the antidote with the current situation? Did I hear you wrongly, or are you simply too naive?” Jiang Chen’s expression abruptly turned cold, “Did you ever imagine that you would one day struggle between the line of life and death when you attacked Myriad Domain and destroyed my sect? If you haven’t, then this is your last chance to experience it!”

The duo wore extremely ugly looks on their faces when they heard this.

“You can stop dreaming about an antidote. Not even the greatest pill master in the Continent could make an antidote in time to save you now! This is the poison of Divine Befuddlement Miasma. It is colorless and odorless, and this place contains a high concentration of it. Are you satisfied with the burial ground I’ve chosen for you all?”

The Divine Befuddlement Miasma? Elder Hao and Gong Wuji shook as all color drained from their face the second they heard this. Cao Meng and Sun abruptly abruptly opened their eyes. There was actually deep fear in them. Sun sighed sorrowfully, “Cao Meng, you've killed me this time!”

However, Gong Wuji was shouting madly on top of his lungs, “Impossible! If this truly is the Divine Befuddlement Miasma, then why aren’t you poisoned? Don’t tell me that the antidote you created at Mt. Rippling Mirage works here as well?”

The Divine Befuddlement Miasma was special in that each strain possessed a different toxicity. It had to be treated accordingly as different miasmas required vastly different antidotes. It was very true that the antidote he created at Mt. Rippling Mirage wouldn’t work on the mutations here. However, Jiang Chen didn’t need an antidote in the first place. That was because both Huang’er and him had refined the cicada’s blood and was impervious to poison!

Chapter 715: None Left Alive

This crazy plan had woven itself into existence when Jiang Chen encountered Ling Su and learned of the valley from him. However, it’d only been a random thought that needed quite the refining to become a proper plan. It was only when he left Tai-ah City in chaos that he decided to execute this crazy idea.

He knew from Ling Su that the Divine Befuddlement Miasma inside Infant Shriek was extremely deadly. At the time, Ling Su had been poisoned shortly after he’d set foot into the outskirts. But Jiang Chen had led this group at least fifty kilometers straight into the interior of the valley, where the Miasma was the thickest! The terrifying Miasma was undetectable to even emperor realm experts. Moreover, since everyone’s focus was on Jiang Chen, they’d never even stopped to any threat posed by the location itself. They were on guard against Jiang Chen’s tricks, formations or ambushes.

So things progressed just as Jiang Chen had predicted, the group had expended every iota of attention on him and not the valley. It was this psychological blind spot that Jiang Chen had taken full advantage of in his ambush. The reason he’d engaged them in a back and forth, let them bicker with each other and activated the Major Artifice Formation was all a means of buying time, just enough time for the poison to seep in! Everything turned out exactly as Jiang Chen had predicted. Without spilling a drop of blood, he had signed the death warrants of every pursuer in the two groups.

Gong Wuji’s face was ashen while Elder Hao’s lips were trembling like a leaf. They looked like defeated dogs, just waiting for the final blow. Even in the depths of despair, Elder Hao’s eyes still held a final glint of optimism, “Jiang Chen, our grudges are not irreconcilable. If you save me, then I promise to recommend you to the Ninesuns Sky Sect. With your talent, you are definitely qualified to become one of the ten great disciples! As for Cao Jin’s death, we can just push it all on the Eternal Celestial Capital,” Elder Hao was desperate to live even as his eyes threatened to close on him.

Gong Wuji couldn’t hold himself back, “You’re a coward, Hao!”

The Divine Befuddlement Miasma had invaded their consciousness by now, and they realized to their dismay that they couldn’t even pull off one final attack. Elder Hao ignored Gong Wuji’s insults completely and begged Jiang Chen with all his might while he still had a bit of strength left in him. “Hero Jiang, Sir Jiang! I swear in the name of the Ninesuns Sky Sect that I, Elder Hao, will absolutely help you gain entry to the Ninesuns Sky Sect if you save my life. With your talent, even Yong Xingyun is not a match for you, much less Cao Jin. Just think, you will become the youngest and strongest disciple of a first rank sect in ten years. You will attain such heights that you’ll be able to look down upon all the young geniuses in the Upper Eight Regions, or even the entire Divine Abyss Continent…” One had to say that Elder Hao was quick witted to offer such enticing things.

However, Jiang Chen revealed nothing but ridicule towards the offer that was completely useless to him. Elder Hao grew even more anxious as the fear inside his heart threatened to overtake his reason. His desire to live had surpassed all dignity and sense of honor. Elder Hao actually knelt on both knees and begged, “Sir Jiang, I am willing to serve you as my master! I am willing to serve you as a servant or even a slave! I guarantee that I will stay loyal to you, and to be judged by the heavens if I even think about turning traitor.”

He was willing to become even a servant or slave?

Cao Meng was so disgusted that even he broke out in a round of abuse, “What the fuck, Hao Yi!? Are you seriously that much of a coward? Are you going to throw our sect’s dignity to the winds?”

“Shut up! We wouldn’t be in such straits if not for your troublesome nephew!” Elder Hao retorted furiously.

But no matter what he said, Jiang Chen remained immovable. Even if he wanted to acquire some servants or slaves, he absolutely wouldn’t pick someone like Hao Yi. If Hao Yi could surrender to Jiang Chen now out of cowardice, then there was no telling when he would betray him in the future as well. Jiang Chen had no intention of keeping a potential threat like that around.

“Elder Hao, there’s a saying here, ‘you won’t die if you don’t kill yourself’. If you weren’t so set on hunting me, you wouldn’t have set foot on this path of no return. May you rest in peace.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly, “Because you begged me, I’ll make an exception and leave you with an intact corpse.” Jiang Chen’s cold eyes glanced at Gong Wuji, those of the Thunder Note Hall and the Great Roc Sect.

Gong Wuji paled. His strength had completely left him since the Divine Befuddlement Miasma had taken over his consciousness. He couldn’t move at all. When he saw Jiang Chen’s unfriendly gaze, Gong Wuji couldn’t help but feel go numb. He had been a cruel and ruthless person for half his life, he could very well imagine what Jiang Chen could do. There was no other future left, Jiang Chen was going to kill him now.

“Gong Wuji, Wasn’t it fun to destroy my Regal Pill Palace? Wasn’t it fun to slaughter the disciples of my sect? Didn’t you believe that my Myriad Domain was just an ant beneath your boot?” Jiang Chen’s voice grew colder and colder, “So how is it? How does it feel to be an ant yourself?”

No matter how strong one was, fear would always come when a butcher’s knife hung over one’s head. Gong Wuji was no exception. But most of all, he couldn’t accept it. This situation, this entire trap was so ridiculous that it verged on the unbelievable. I am a first rank sect holy king and an emperor realm expert. I am an important person who rules over the Divine Abyss Continent. But am I really going to die by the hands of a lower region kid today?

I do not accept this! Gong Wuji’s eyes were bloodshot. He roared at the top of his lungs, “Don’t go strutting around, brat! You’ve offended my Eternal Celestial Capital, and although victory is yours today, one day you will learn the meaning of regret!”

Jiang Chen said coldly, “Even if such a day exists, you won’t live to see it.”

Moonshatter Flying Daggers flashed and suddenly cut through the air. A bright golden light wrapped itself around Gong Wuji’s neck.

Crack!

With an audible snap, Gong Wuji’s large head separated from his shoulders. His eyes were wide, disbelieving; rage and resentment clear in his eyes. Elder Hao trembled all over when he saw Gong Wuji’s decapitation.

Jiang Chen didn’t stop there. One by one, he beheaded every one of the Eternal Celestial Capital and Great Scarlet Mid Region’s senior executives and stored their heads. Naturally, he also took away all of their storage rings without hesitation. Unfortunately, all of those who had come to hunt down Jiang Chen had been smart enough to leave their valuables at home aside from a few spirit stones for basic necessities. The only exception was once again Gong Wuji! Gong Wuji had plenty of valuables squirreled away. Jiang Chen naturally took them for himself.

Jiang Chen left those of the Ninesuns Sky Sect alive, though. He didn’t need to kill them since the Divine Befuddlement Miasma had already penetrated deep into their minds. Unless an antidote was concocted right this moment, not even the gods themselves could save them.

After all, the strain they were suffering from was different from Ling Su’s. Ling Su had been infected with the Divine Befuddlement Miasma on the outskirts of the valley, but he had also exited the valley immediately. These people had stayed at the place where the Divine Befuddlement Miasma was the thickest for a much, much longer time. Only the heavens knew exactly how much Divine Befuddlement Miasma had seeped into their bodies. One could say that their poisoning was several thousand times worse than Ling Su’s.

After he was done sweeping through the entire battlefield, Jiang Chen exchanged a glance with Huang’er and left the valley. Hao Yi and Cao Meng of the Ninesuns Sky Sect struggled for a couple of days in the Valley of Infant Shriek, but no miracle came to save them. Roughly ten days later, Infant Shriek was no longer bothered by the cries of the living.

…...

Half a month later, Jiang Chen and Huang’er appeared at a big city to the north of Swordland Region, Prospering Dragon City. However, since they had changed their disguises yet again, no one could identify them. News of the troops of the Eternal Celestial Capital and the Ninesuns Sky Sect disappearing mysteriously had gotten around, becoming the hottest piece of gossip in the neighborhood.

Jiang Chen sought out a mercenary organization in Prospering Dragon City.

“Do you need our services, my lord?” This mercenary organization was one of the largest in the city. Bluntly put, it was a gang. But by necessity, their organization was far less rigorous and strict than a sect. In fact, they even accepted wandering cultivators into their ranks. This faction often skirted the gray areas of the law and society, conducting business that weren’t necessarily legal. However, this mercenary organization was very large. As a result, it was also more law abiding and friendly to customers.

Jiang Chen nodded, “I wish to transport something to the Great Scarlet Empire.”

“Oh? How many packages? Do you want to have their value appraised?”

“There’s no need. These things are absolutely worthless to anyone else,” Jiang Chen shook his head.

“The Swordland Region is rather far away from Great Scarlet Mid Region. If these items are worthless, then the cost of transportation will be quite high.” This mercenary organization looked disinterested when they heard that the items weren’t worth much. They often acted as couriers for a price. The fee for the service often depended on the value of the item, but was normally quite high. They didn’t particularly appreciate transporting items of poor value, even if they were paid for it.

“They are quite worthless, but I would like to request that they be delivered to their destination as quickly as possible. If you can deliver them in a month’s time, I am willing to pay you five hundred thousand upper rank origin spirit stones.”

Five hundred thousand origin spirit stone was the equivalent of fifty thousand saint spirit stones. This price obviously caught the other party off guard. He’s willing to pay this much to transport these things? Things that are worthless, no less?

The representative struggled to find words, “My lord, although we have a rule that forbids us from asking about the nature of the goods you’re planning to transport, this fee of yours for the transportation of something valueless is…”

“As I’ve told you before, while these things may be worthless to everyone else, they are of great value to the Great Scarlet Empire. So can you deliver it in a month’s time?”

After pondering for a moment, the other party finally made his decision, “Alright. I’ll undertake this job and deliver it in a month’s time!”

Although the Great Scarlet Mid Region was quite far away, they had their own ways of doing things. If they were to rush at top speed towards the Great Scarlet Mid Region, it was definitely possible to make it in a month’s time! Jiang Chen put down a storage ring “This contains all of the valuables. Remember, every one of these items has my unique seal on it. The seal will be broken if you sneak a peek, and I will know it.”

“Don’t worry, we understand the rules of business.” The person accepted the storage ring and swept his consciousness inside. Inside the storage ring were box after box, nothing else. As Jiang Chen had stated earlier, these huge boxes were all wrapped in special seals that prevented him from seeing inside the boxes.

“Here’s your fee. Please check it,” Jiang Chen pushed the storage ring containing the payment of spirit stones to the representative.

“I’ll remind you that these things are extremely important to Great Scarlet Mid Region. You must deliver them properly. Otherwise, you will be facing the anger of the entire Great Scarlet Mid Region!”

Obviously, a mere mercenary organization couldn’t endure the fury of the entire Great Scarlet Mid Region should they earned the region’s ire.

Chapter 716: Famed Throughout the Regions

The person in charge immediately became more cautious after hearing Jiang Chen’s words and cautiously put away the storage ring in front of Jiang Chen.

“Please rest assured that we will deliver these items to the Great Scarlet Mid Region within a month, no matter the cost. Speaking of which, to whom specifically should we deliver this package?”

“The Great Scarlet Emperor,” Jiang Chen replied indifferently.

The other party was startled. He glanced at Jiang Chen but refrained from speaking further. Delivering things to the imperial household was no big deal for them—it was simply another bit of business. They would have to put in some extra effort to bring the package into the palace, but there would be no problem. There was no reason to refuse this easy business, especially since the commission was so generous.

Jiang Chen did not tarry at Prospering Dragon City after he finished his business. There was still much ground to cover between Prospering Dragon City to the Veluriyam Capital. He didn’t have the luxury of taking it easy right now. Now that the pursuing forces from the Eternal Celestial Capital and the Ninesuns Sky Sect had fallen at Infant Shriek, any lead or piece of information linked to him had been extinguished. This was a rare opportunity for the duo to pick up the pace and leave their eventual pursuers in the dust.

Jiang Chen and Huang’er’s journey had become much more relaxed without the two first rank sects clinging onto him like maggots. But he was well aware that this respite was merely temporary. The two sects would soon muster up another group and the journey would once again become arduous. They had to take advantage of this period to cover more ground.

Although the two first rank sects had been temporarily cut off at the knees, the wandering cultivators were still as passionate as ever. The hefty reward was obviously still very tempting.

Even though news of the two sects’ demise at Infant Shriek hadn’t yet spread, Jiang Chen reckoned the news would start circulating pretty soon. The higher-ups of the two sects would surely dispatch men to investigate the sudden disappearance of their people. By then, it wouldn’t be too hard to trace their footsteps to Infant Shriek. There was simply no way to keep it hidden. Jiang Chen deduced that the higher-ups had probably finished investigating this matter by now. It was just that such news needed to be kept under wraps. After all, this matter was an enormous disgrace for the two first rank sects. No less than three thousand men and several emperor realm cultivators from the two sects had been wiped out in their entirety. This matter would surely did them to become a laughingstock if word were to spread.

Therefore, Jiang Chen had not relaxed his vigilance during this peaceful phase. There was bound to be even more trials on the journey ahead. Fortunately, Jiang Chen and Huang’er were able to enter closed door cultivation for a few days after leaving Infant Shriek, during which they refined and erased the Eternal Celestial Capital’s tracker mark. Otherwise, they would become living targets for the Eternal Celestial Capital wherever they went.

…...

Time drifted by. Over twelve days had passed by the time Jiang Chen appeared at Prospering Dragon City. Great changes were taking place again at this very moment. Information regarding the annihilation of the two sect’s forces had finally leaked out from the communication blockade. This news immediately caused an enormous uproar in all the neighboring regions.

Two first rank sects, along with a large batch of fourth rank sect cultivators from the Great Scarlet Mid Region, with a force that totalled three thousand strong had been completely obliterated! And they’d only been chasing two! Jiang Chen’s fame immediately spread across the entire realm. The two supreme first ranked sects instantly lost all prestige. They had been dragged down from their high pedestal for the moment and pummeled down the earth. They soon became an object of ridicule for the wandering cultivators.

The wandering cultivators were frantically rushing to capture Jiang Chen for the bounty, but deep down, they were still sympathetic towards the weak. The first rank sects were abusive and tyrannical. They had invaded the Myriad Domain to ravage its sects and demolish their foundations, killing and pillaging without restraint. This was an undeniable fact. And as such, to the wandering cultivators, Jiang Chen’s counterattack was a cause for admiration and worship. He was an absolute god of retaliation!

Jiang Chen’s name was soon on everyone’s lips. This also caused most of those bounty hunters to have second thoughts about hunting Jiang Chen and eventually dispelling their ambitions. It became clear to them that this bounty was not for them to claim. What could these wandering cultivators do against someone who was able to decimate even a first rank sect’s army of three thousand? What qualifications did they have to hunt him down?

Jiang Chen’s name resounded above and below the streets, taverns and teahouses. He soon became the most discussed topic among wandering cultivators, so much so that he became a bonafide legend. However, many were pessimistic about Jiang Chen’s future. His chances of survival were rather slim after provoking the absolute fury of the two sects. But then again, what of it? The future notwithstanding, a youth of the Myriad Domain being able to perform so many magnificent feats was sufficient for his name to be spoken of throughout the generations! It was enough to become a legend of the Divine Abyss Continent!

“A true man should be like this, living life on a grand scale!” A wandering cultivator slapped the table in a tavern and exclaimed with great contentment as he emptied a large bowl of wine. Tens of thousands of similar scenes were playing out everyday in all the neighboring regions. Jiang Chen had suddenly become a figure of worship to the countless wandering cultivators, a hero to the discontent masses who were resentful of the mighty sects—a shining beacon of grassroots retaliation!

In contrast to the wandering cultivators, the sects of the various regions were overcome with unspeakable astonishment and shock. The journey from the Myriad Domain to the Veluriyam Capital spanned territories of many major powers, several of which were invited by the Eternal Celestial Capital and Ninesuns Sky Sect to help them pursue Jiang Chen. Many of them were delighted to accept the invitation of a first rank sect. There was no logical reason for them to refuse. The positive returns were obvious if they could get a first rank sect to owe them a favor through easy effort. The Swordland Region’s Tai-ah City was a prime example. They’d cooperated wholly with Gong Wuji and the Eternal Celestial Capital, offering them much assistance. But all the invited forces were shaken after this incident.

This was especially true of Tai-ah City, but the time for regrets had past. Although Tai-ah City had not dispatched troops into Infant Shriek, they had put in significant effort towards Jiang Chen’s capture within the city. It was clear that they had mortally offended Jiang Chen, and although Jiang Chen didn’t seem to have the power to retaliate at the moment, if by any chance he was able to survive this tribulation and grown into his own, Tai-ah City will inevitably reap the retribution they had sown today.

Perhaps in ten, twenty, fifty years…

The head of Tai-ah City was extremely depressed, obviously unable to accept this truth. Gong Wuji and Hao Yi were both mid emperor realm. The troops with them were all elites of their respective sects. They were much more powerful than the elites of Tai-ah City. Although investigations had reported that they were poisoned by the Divine Befuddlement Miasma, it didn’t change the fact that they were completely wiped out. This Jiang Chen, whom he’d never met before, had taught the head of Tai-ah City a lesson that would forever leave a deep impression on him. From delivering the sword to playing the two sects off against each other, he’d held everyone in the palm of his hands. All his schemes had fallen into place one after another, locking together perfectly.

Jiang Chen’s methods, level of foresight, and degree of situational control caused the head of Tai-ah City to shudder with fear. This doesn’t look like a young man’s methods at all! This was even more terrifying than the Titled Great Emperors who’d roamed the world for hundreds of years. The head of Tai-ah City had to admit that he’d accidentally provoked a potential calamity that might one day annihilate the city. In addition to his worries, the continuous investigation from the Eternal Celestial Capital and Ninesuns Sky Sect were also causing him great distress.

As soon as the two major powers discovered the fate of Gong Wuji and Hao Yi, they immediately dispatched men to investigate the matter. Although they didn’t levy blame on Tai-ah City, they were evidently dissatisfied. The valley of Infant Shriek fell under Tai-ah City’s jurisdiction. The destruction of the forces from the two major sects could more or less be attributed to Tai-ah City’s failure to provide them with sufficient information. Although the two sects had brought this calamity upon themselves, Tai-ah City couldn’t absolve themselves of all responsibility.

Comparatively speaking, the Great Scarlet Mid Region was even more anxious. The moment news of Gong Wuji’s death reached them, the entire Great Scarlet Mid Region was plunged into a state of incomparable shock. Gong Wuji’s demise signified the death of all the troops they had sent to hunt Jiang Chen. Those groups consisted of a major portion of the Great Scarlet Mid Region’s elites.

All fourth rank sects had mobilized at least two thirds of their elites, while the third rank sects had also sent a token force consisting of several experts to assist. Even the royal family had dispatched some supporting personnel. If all of them had truly met their end, then the foundations of the Great Scarlet Mid Region would be severely undermined with an immediate reduction of a third of their strength.

The Great Scarlet emperor was also quite restless after hearing the news and wanted to ask the higher-ups of the Eternal Celestial Capital about this matter. But, he was ultimately unable to muster up this courage.

A report was delivered to the royal palace that day. “Your Majesty, we have reports from the Swordland Mid Region. Someone has come to deliver an item that he claims is of the utmost importance to the Great Scarlet Mid Region and requires Your Highness to receive it personally. Due to the significant nature of this matter, we await Your Majesty’s decision.”

“The Swordland Mid Region?” The Great Scarlet Emperor immediately thought of Gong Wuji and Jiang Chen. He enquired hurriedly, “Where is that person?”

“He’s already outside the palace.”

“Send him in immediately!” The Great Scarlet Emperor surmised that it should be some important information from the Swordland Region. He couldn’t wait a moment longer to hear it.

“This humble messenger from the Coiling Dragon Mercenary Group of Prospering Dragon City greets the Great Scarlet emperor.” The messenger was not from the Great Scarlet Mid Region. He didn’t prostrate, but merely bowed in greeting.

The emperor wasn’t in the mood to fuss about formalities at the moment and only asked, “Honored messenger, we’ve heard that you come bearing an important item?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. About one month ago, a certain person tasked us to deliver an important item to the Great Scarlet emperor. He warned us repeatedly that the item must be delivered into Your Majesty’s hands.”

“What is it?” the Great Scarlet emperor inquired.

“Our rules forbid us from checking the items entrusted to us unless the client explicitly allows it. The seals within are intact. Please inspect it, Your Majesty.”

The Great Scarlet emperor knitted his eyebrows. “Where is it?”

“The item is within. Please accept upon inspection,” the messenger respectfully passed over a storage ring.

The royal guards immediately took the ring. They reported to the emperor only after repeated inspections for restrictions or hidden attacks. “Your Highness, there are no abnormal restrictions or poison within.”

“Open it. Let’s see what’s inside,” the Great Scarlet emperor ordered with a wave of his hand.

The mercenary messenger cupped his hands, “Now that the item has been delivered with their seals intact, this humble one would like to be excused.”

The emperor naturally didn’t keep him. He gestured for the guest to be shown out. Stored within the ring were a number of large crates. In fact, there were a full ten of them. The several large crates had intact seals on them, indicating that they hadn’t been probed.

“Open it,” the emperor ordered.

The Sketch Artist won an award this week! Please check it out, as it's translated by WW's very own, Guan Zhong!

Chapter 717: The Final Hurdle

Ten guards stepped up and broke the seals on each box. The seals themselves posed no threat, so they were easily removed. When the guards were done, the box was slowly opened.

“Eh?!”

“What’s this?!” When the boxes were opened, all ten guards had a drastic change in expression. They shuddered as if lightning had run through them.

Inside the boxes were neat rows of heads. Each box contained roughly thirty, all of them still marred with blood. It seemed they had been specially processed as they remained incredibly lifelike even after a month. There was not a sign of decay. But one thing they all had in common was an expression of terror and despair. Even at first glance, it was obvious. These men hadn’t gone quietly!

As the ruler of a region, the Great Scarlet Emperor held immense authority and occupied a lofty position. His path to the throne had been paved by the blood and bones of all those he’d killed, so he was no stranger to bloodshed. The number of people he’d killed numbered in the millions, but at this moment, as hardened as he was and to his eternal shame, his body shuddered a single time.

It wasn’t that he was a coward or afraid of seeing dead people, but that he was intimately familiar with each head. The first head in the first box was Gong Wuji! He was followed by the heads of the various sects, their elites, and the royal experts that he’d sent. He was undoubtedly familiar with each face twisted in fear. And now, only their heads remained, and this grisly spectacle had been meant for him!

What was this?

Face slapping!

A show of power!

A warning!

The emperor’s expression immediately turned quite ugly, to the point where it seemed even blood would drip out from his eyes. His hands tucked away in his sleeves also trembled uncontrollably. He knew that Jiang Chen must’ve had these heads delivered, showing off his power to the emperor and giving a firm warning! Although the emperor had never seen Jiang Chen, a hint of fear suddenly flashed through the depths of his heart. Yes, fear!

He hadn’t regretted invading the Myriad Domain, and had felt quite accomplished when he’d ordered the annihilation of all their sects. But now, he really did regret his actions. He had the premonition that the Great Scarlet Mid Region had played with fire this time, and the consequences were only coming. When he’d first heard of Jiang Chen, the emperor had only thought of him as a kid with a bit more skill to his name, a negligible character. But now, he’d finally realized that this was an unfathomable genius with a potential even he couldn’t measure! This was a genius who absolutely had the power to make the Great Scarlet Mid Region pay a heavy price one day!

For some reason, the images of destroying the Myriad Empire six hundred years ago suddenly floated upward in the emperor’s mind.

What if… what if one day Jiang Chen found his footing and started over again, then would the Myriad Empire’s history become the Scarlet Empire’s future? I absolutely can’t allow that to happen!

Although the emperor put a seal on the news, visitors from the various Great Scarlet Mid Region sects came to visit him everyday and ask for updates. Rumors trickled down, each one more fantastic than the last. An atmosphere of fear and worry blanketed the entire Great Scarlet Mid Region for a time. The mounting grudge between Jiang Chen and the sects continued to fester. Yet no expense was spared as the rumor mill continued to grind out various pieces of intelligence on Jiang Chen. All of this made Jiang Chen and Huang'er's trip a bit more difficult.

……

After a long time spent on the road, the two finally drew close to Veluriyam Capital. Looking at the map, they were but half a month away. But this last half month of travel held a final, difficult hurdle. It would be down to how they managed this hurdle that would determine if they could successfully make it into Veluriyam Capital.

On the map, the Capital stood to the north, and Jiang Chen and Huang'er directly south of it. Three main paths lead to the capital, and each required passage through a different city. Passing through any of those cities would place one in Veluriyam Capital territory, only ten day journey from the core of the capital. However, none of the three cities answered to the Veluriyam Capital. These three cities were, without a doubt, the last line of defense for the two sects who wanted to stop him. When he reached Veluriyam Capital territory past those cities, neither the Eternal Celestial Capital nor the Ninesuns Sky Sect would dare flout the Capital’s authority.

As he examined the three paths, Jiang Chen frowned, “We have to enter one of these three cities, there’s no way around it. If I were the Eternal Celestial Capital or the Sky Sect, I would concentrate a majority of my resources to these three cities.”

Huang'er nodded, “Our journey’s been rather calm recently. I’d guess that they’re placing all their hopes on these three cities.”

Although these cities weren’t under the sway of the Ninesuns Sky Sect or Eternal Celestial Capital, the first rank sects could easily persuade the local authorities to give way. Of that there was no doubt.

Jiang Chen stared at the map for a second, his fingers moving from point to point without a word. But in the end, he couldn’t come up with anything, and chose a city at random. “Let’s take this path. No matter what, we have to make it past this final hurdle.” His finger had landed on Myriad Peoples City.

Huang'er had no objections. She’d quite enjoyed Jiang Chen being in charge along the way, and time had proven that his decisions and plans had been very reasonable. They were sometimes a little risky or radical, but there were never any major sidesteps. Now that he’d decided on his direction, Jiang Chen was in no hurry to set out. He’d gained much inspiration from this long journey, born from his observations of the world. He’d read more than a million books in his past life, but his greatest regret had been that he couldn’t travel the world with the identity of a cultivator. Although he’d traveled, he’d always done so on dragon or phoenix back, with countless experts by his side. That was a procession, not a training experience.

The journey this time had garnered the greatest gains of his current and past life. These gains had continuously manifested themselves in various ways, such as comprehension of martial dao, formations, and pill dao…

In terms of formations, he had made great strides in the legacy from the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. In particular, The Heart of Formations had given him a deeper understanding of the foundations of formations. He’d also tried out some of the formations from the ancient sect, and noted the differences between setting up their formations and using the formation disks. A formation disk could be instantly deployed, whereas one set up by hand needed to be engraved on and controlled with a formation flag. All sorts of factors had to be considered. In comparison, a formation that had actually been set up would be more complete and lethal. A formation flag was also far more malleable, with many more variations available than a formation disk..

However, not everyone had the right to use a formation disk either. The costs to make one were simply astronomical, so not even a supreme formation master of a first rank sect would have the right to use a high level one. It was almost impossible to create a divine level formation disk given the current level of the Divine Abyss Continent in resources or formations. The strong formation disks floating around were all treasures passed down from ancient times.

Jiang Chen had improved even more rapidly in martial dao. He was now at peak third level sage realm, just one step away from fourth level and the ranks of earth sage realm! His God’s Eye was at the twenty seventh level, only six levels away from the peak of thirty three. Zephyr’s Ear was similar, and Buddha’s Heart sat at the twenty fourth level, while Psychic’s Head was at the twentieth level. The Cicada Wing art that he’d learned from the golden cicada had also continued to rise, granting Jiang Chen much more agility in flight.

However, the Cicada Wing was a delicate and exquisite art, and it didn’t necessarily hold the advantage when it came to pure speed. This was where Jiang Chen’s other choice kicked in, Emperor Featherflight’s wings. The tool the Great Titled Emperor had used to dominate the world, along with his Featherflight Tactics, Jiang Chen would greatly outstrip all of his peers. And yet, Emperor Featherflight’s legacy was too sensitive. Jiang Chen wanted to make them his own, but he still decided to put it aside for now after thinking for a while.

If these items and techniques were revealed, everyone would know that he had come into possession of Emperor Featherflight’s legacy. Then, real trouble would come for him. The Titled Great Emperor’s legacy wasn’t earth shattering, but the legacy from empyrean cultivator Guo Ran was the true treasure. If anyone else knew that Jiang Chen had an empyrean cultivator’s legacy, an empyrean decree, and a secret order to a fate realm, then there would be only one result.

He would be hunted throughout the entire Divine Abyss Continent. So after much thought, Jiang Chen still decided not to make use of the wings for now. Instead, he could use something else, Emperor Featherflight’s mirror! This treasure could impact and slow down an opponent in battle. It actually had the same effect as the power from the magnetic golden mountain. It was just a lot more convenient to use. The mirror was also of the wind attribute instead of metal. It manipulated wind velocity, which directly controlled the speed of air currents. That could then create invisible restraints on the opponent, slowing them down. It was rather discreet and definitely within Jiang Chen’s capabilities to refine for his own use.

Jiang Chen only set out after three days, after making all the necessary preparations. His goal, Myriad Peoples City! Although entering Veluriyam Capital territory didn’t mean absolute safety, it did mean a check on the first rank sects’ ability to brazenly kill people in broad daylight. The Capital wouldn’t give any face to a first rank sect, and in fact had very cool relationship with many of them.

It’d been a long time since his peers and followers had been sold. Jiang Chen’s heart was afire with anxiety. If it hadn’t been for all the obstacles along the way, he would’ve discarded all caution and rushed to the Veluriyam Capital to rescue them.

“I hope that good people will be favored by the heavens.” Jiang Chen slowly brought himself back to the calmness of still water. There was no point to worrying. Instead of spending time needlessly fretting, he should make it through Myriad Peoples City as fast as possible!

Chapter 718: Many Troubles

The city lord of Myriad Peoples City, Ji Geng, was nursing a particularly strong headache these past few days. His usually peaceful city was being trampled by unwelcome guests from the Eternal Celestial Capital. Myriad Peoples City was just a border city of the lower regions. Since it was right next to Veluriyam Capital’s domain, this area had always been relatively prosperous, so the city had become quite large. As a result, the city lord had always enjoyed a comfortable life despite technically being part of a lower region. He possessed more than enough authority, and accumulated plentiful profit from his position. The benefits he had managed to squirrel away was no lesser than those who held sway over big cities of middle regions. All in all, Ji Geng had been quite content with his life.

Although Veluriyam Capital loomed over his city, they had never exerted their considerable might to bully him. He was also rather friendly to them, so he enjoyed an amiable relationship with Veluriyam Capital. He lacked for nothing; even immortality wouldn't be enough to tempt him into trading lives.

However, a group of people had came to Veluriyam Capital half a month ago. Leading them was a powerful holy king of the Eternal Celestial Capital. Moreover, this newcomer was at peak eighth level emperor realm, but a one step away from ninth level emperor realm. His power made the initial emperor realm expert Ji Geng feel tremendous pressure.

Although the lower region they belonged to didn’t have any ties with the Eternal Celestial Capital, no one amongst them dared ignore someone from a first rank sect of the Upper Eight Regions. Naturally, there was also no reason not to curry favor with a first rank sect if the opportunity presented itself. However, the Eternal Celestial Capital’s demands this time were obviously over the top. They wanted to take over Myriad Peoples City’s northern gate for the entire year.

The northern gate of Myriad Peoples City was a vital checkpoint that couldn’t be avoided if someone wished to travel to Veluriyam Capital. It was also the most popular and most profitable entrances in Myriad Peoples City. Veluriyam Capital was akin to an unblemished pearl in the Divine Abyss Continent. Reputed as the land of freedom, it was also one of the preeminent factions of the Upper Eight Regions. There were countless people who travelled to Veluriyam Capital every year. As a result, the tolls from that gate was a significant portion of Myriad Peoples City’s revenue. Therefore, the city lord of Myriad Peoples City subconsciously wanted to reject the Eternal Celestial Capital’s unceremonious request the moment he heard it.

Thankfully, the Eternal Celestial Capital wasn’t completely unreasonable despite their oppressive ways. They offered compensation that exceeded what the northern gate would earn in a year. If the city lord of Myriad Peoples City had been a shortsighted person, he would’ve had no reason to turn down such an extravagant reward. However, even in the face of such profit, he hadn’t accepted the offer at first glance. As a city lord, how would he not know of the grudges between the Eternal Celestial Capital and the Myriad Domain in the past half year? He’d also naturally heard of the rumors that a group led by Eternal Celestial Capital’s Gong Wuji had been utterly annihilated.

As a city lord, he had no intentions of commenting on the grudges between the Eternal Celestial Capital and the Myriad Domain. He wanted even less to be involved in them. If Gong Wuji had not been killed, Ji Geng would’ve agreed to this request without any hesitation.

But after Gong Wuji had been killed, anyone who had paid even the slightest attention to this affair would know that the Eternal Celestial Capital had suffered a huge loss at Jiang Chen’s hands. That monstrous genius of the Myriad Domain was capable of eliminating even someone like Gong Wuji! Naturally, a place like Myriad Peoples City absolutely didn’t have the ability to become involved in something like this. In addition, this matter had become quite the hot potato issue.

If he somehow offended that Jiang Chen over this matter, then there was no telling if his city would be met with endless troubles in the future. As a man who had gotten used to living a peaceful life, it was natural that Ji Geng had no wish to get involved in this conflict. However, he had obviously underestimated the Eternal Celestial Capital’s determination. When Ji Geng revealed a reluctant expression, this holy king of the Eternal Celestial Capital had tripled the rewards without a second’s hesitation. Furthermore, the words he had used when presenting the offer had a clear underlying meaning. If he refused this offer, Myriad Peoples City would become the Eternal Celestial Capital’s enemy. The city lord of Myriad Peoples City had no choice but to accept the offer in the face of such a threat. However, he had also openly declared that the city was not getting involved in their conflict. Moreover, he demanded that the Eternal Celestial Capital must announce publicly that the Myriad Peoples City had relinquished their control over the northern gate only because he had been forced to, and not out of cooperation with the Eternal Celestial Capital.

The Eternal Celestial Capital knew that Myriad Peoples City was trying to absolve themselves in this matter. Although they were dissatisfied with this lack of full cooperation, they had no wish to cause further trouble either. Therefore, they accepted the city lord’s demands. And so, the city lord of Myriad Peoples City reluctantly turned over the control of the northern gate to the Eternal Celestial Capital.

However, since he had washed his hands clear of the matter, anything that happened from then on was the Eternal Celestial Capital’s business. He neither needed to worry about Jiang Chen’s vengeance, nor did he need to worry about Veluriyam Capital’s potential wrath. After all, this northern gate lead towards Veluriyam Capital. The mere fact that the northern gate had been taken over by the Eternal Celestial Capital was in a way, a provocation to Veluriyam Capital. If they decided to split hairs over this matter, it would result in quite the quarrel.

…...

In due time, Jiang Chen arrived at the southern gate of Myriad People’s City. Once they entered the southern gate and exited the northern gate, they would reach the Capital’s borders. If he was correct about this city being the last line of defense, the city should be strictly locked down. However, there didn’t seem to be any signs of that as he passed through the southern gate. He had only faced a few routine questions from the city guards before being allowed to pass. The heavy fortifications and rigorous checking he had anticipated was nowhere to be seen. It was a completely different sight than what he’d encountered outside Tai-ah City.

“Was I mistaken?” Jiang Chen was very surprised. In his opinion, the city should’ve been so heavily guarded that not even a fly would be allowed entry without being verified. But since he was inside the city already, Jiang Chen didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. He might as well go with the flow. He simply needed to be more careful.

Although Myriad Peoples City belonged to a lower region, it wasn’t actually too far behind Tai-ah City in terms of prosperity. In fact, they were superior to Tai-ah City in certain facets. Jiang Chen was able to learn much from a different land with a different culture.

Since the two were posing as wandering cultivators, naturally they gravitated towards a place where more of their kind congregated. It didn’t take long before Jiang Chen and Huang’er arrived at a spot where wandering cultivators rested. For the purposes of legality, it was called a training ground. But it had been opened specifically for wandering cultivators, so it acted more as an inn than a training ground. But, it also provided a private place for cultivation. To put it bluntly, it was a place where wandering cultivators were provided holistic, high level hospitality.

As the saying went, it took wealth to be able to cultivate martial arts. Therefore, even wandering cultivators were willing to enjoy high level service and not stay in inns like the rest of the commoners. That was why this training ground enjoyed great business. The moment the two walked in, they glimpsed a wide public square filled with many tables. There were at least a thousand wandering cultivators clumped in groups of three or five scattered here and there as they enjoyed delicious wine and alcohol.

“F*cking hell, what the hell is going on with this Myriad Peoples City! Why have they suddenly barred passage through the northern gate?”

“I know right? I must’ve gone through this northern gate at least ten times in the past, but this is the first time I’ve encountered something this f*cked up!”

“I heard that the northern gate was taken over by a certain force. In the future, we will have to inspected by them whenever we attempt to pass through the northern gate. I heard that the inspection is very strict.”

“Which power’s gotten so bored to do such a f*cked up thing?”

“Ssh! Quiet! I heard that it’s a first rank sect from the Upper Eight Regions.”

“Bah, so what if they’re a first rank sect? Are they stronger than Veluriyam Capital? Seriously, what is this!?” The majority of the wandering cultivators in this area were proud and unrestrained people. Most of them also had a bad temper that emboldened their unyielding spirit. If it wasn’t for their temperament, they would’ve entered a sect long ago instead of remaining wandering cultivators. It was exactly because they were so bad tempered that they couldn’t endure the suffocating air of a sect. That was why they were willing to become a wandering cultivator. Naturally, these wandering cultivators did little to watch their mouths.

Jiang Chen happened to overhear their conversations as he walked past. His heart sank as he realized the implications. As I thought, it’s easy to get in but difficult to get out. Getting into the city was a simple task, but leaving by the city’s northern gate and entering Veluriyam Capital’s domain wasn’t going to be nearly as easy. Even if he were to leave now, the Eternal Celestial Capital would likely keep an eye on him. Exiting the city right after they entered was practically a confession. Moreover, there were three paths leading to the Veluriyam Capital, with each one requiring passage through a city. The other two cities must be facing the same situation.

We have to get through that gate no matter what. But I wonder how strict their inspection is? They obviously can’t track me down using the mark they left on me. Jiang Chen had already refined the tracker mark on his body a long time ago. However, if the mark could be erased, he guessed that the Eternal Celestial Capital knew about this as well. That was why their inspection wouldn’t be as simple as checking for the mark.

All kinds of things could happen in the martial world. This was the final opportunity for either the Eternal Celestial Capital or the Ninesuns Sky Sect. They would most likely have covered every base in their inspections. It wouldn’t be easy to pass.

The duo passed through the public square and went into the great hall. They booked two rooms and asked for a table. After ordering some dishes, they made their way back to the public square. Where there were people, there was information. It wasn’t convenient for Jiang Chen to ask about things because this place might not necessarily be completely free of the Eternal Celestial Capital and Ninesuns Sky Sect’s eyes and ears. He would be getting himself into trouble if someone paid attention to him because of his questions.

“Everyone, I heard that the inspection this time is really strict. But it seems that women are fine. They’re almost always let through. But young men between twenty to forty years must first have their cultivation base and age inspected. They then have to go through a series of intense interrogations. Apparently they also possess a strange kind of treasure that can check if someone has disguised themselves. They must reveal their true faces the second they are confirmed to be wearing a disguise.”

“What? This is too much. They’re looking for Jiang Chen, but won’t others who have a bounty on their heads also be exposed as well? Isn’t this a little too unfair?”

“Hehe, like they care if they’re being fair or not. They’re a first rank sect, you know.” The crowd bandied rumors and information freely with each other, but Jiang Chen was secretly frowning on the inside. If the inspection really was as strict as they claimed, then this would really be quite the hurdle. It would be unbelievably difficult to get through the roadblock.

The reason they were able to come all the way here was exactly because they had altered their looks constantly and sealed off their consciousness from detection. But if the enemy could detect if he had altered his looks, then it really would be difficult to pass through the roadblock. After all, a picture of his features had been plastered on every city gate for quite some time now. Even the people with the poorest memories would know what he looked like.

Chapter 719: Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder

Huang'er was also slightly surprised to hear that. There were treasures that could detect disguised faces, and many experts with strong consciousness could do the same without the use of treasures. But for the Eternal Celestial Capital to give out treasures capable of doing so mean that they were going all out. It would be nearly impossible for the two to pass through the gates, unless they could transform themselves in the same manner as dragons.

The two looked at each other, dejection clear in each other’s eyes. Just as they were momentarily downcast, a racket started outside. It soon drew closer, and soon a group of thirty people surged inside. Most of them were dressed in warrior garb, and were led by a middle-aged man wearing a blue robe. On the whole, they resembled a butler leading a set of household guards. They exuded killing intent, and their bodies bore the marks of an intense battle. Yet their faces seemed to hold barely hidden anxiety, and the guards seemed to be protecting the hastily constructed stretcher that was being carried in the middle. They didn’t seem to want to take any chances, each one on high alert. Their heads seemed to be on a swivel, their eyes never still they searched for threats.

The butler walked up to the approaching training ground associate with quite a bit of flair, “Hurry and prepare one of your good rooms; make it the best!”

The associate was obviously someone who knew how to size up the situation. He could tell from their attire alone that this group had an extraordinary background that set them apart from wandering cultivators. He immediately called out, “We have honored guests, prepare one of the sky rooms!”

The butler pulled the associate aside, “Don’t bother, we’ll take all of the sky rooms.”

The associate was startled and laughed ruefully, “This will be difficult to do, friend. There are many reservations for the sky rooms.”

This time, it was the butler’s turn to start. He frowned, “Then cancel them all? We’ll pay double.”

The associate smiled wryly, “Honored guest, it’s not a matter of money, but that no one does business this way. We wouldn’t be able to explain ourselves to those customers.”

The butler was thrown for a loop, but immediately thought of something and furrowed his brow, “We’ll reserve all of the remaining sky rooms then.”

“Understood, immediately.” The associate relaxed inwardly when he saw the customer’s attitude soften. He was most afraid of guests with power and authority who became stubborn. It was always a nightmare to deal with someone who just wouldn’t listen to reason. After all, they were just one small training ground in Myriad Peoples City, they couldn’t withstand the retribution of a major faction.

“Hold!” The butler called out again when he saw that the associate was about to leave.

“What else does the guest require?” The associate’s heartstrings tightened again.

“Are there any renowned pill kings in Myriad Peoples City?”

Pill kings? The associate laughed self deprecatingly, “Honored guest, we’re but a small border town. How would a true pill king bear to spend time here?”

The Myriad Peoples City was indeed a bustling city, but that was due to its advantageous geography and not the innate superiority of the city itself. No true pill king would be willing to take up long term residence in such a place.

“Not even one?” The butler’s expression darkened.

“Well, we’ve had them come through before, but most of them were visitors. They would take up temporary residence, but there really aren’t any who maintain a residence here.”

“Then have there been any visiting pill kings lately?” The butler struggled to control his temper as he continued his line of questioning.

The associate shook his head, “Not according to what I know, but you can also ask around as well. I am of a lowly station and may not know of matters higher up.”

News of a pill king was indeed a matter that would be best circulated among people of a higher station. Naturally, an associate didn’t travel in those circles. The butler waved his hand, “Go on and prepare the room then.” His face was grave as he turned back to look at the person on the stretcher. A hint of anxiety and deep worry flashed through his face. He turned back to give some orders, “Go ask around at the various pill factions in Myriad Peoples City to see if there’s a pill king within the city. If there is, invite them here no matter what you have to do. If you have to…”

A particular light shone out of the butler’s eyes. His men were all smart people and nodded, quickly walking out. Jiang Chen was sitting in the plaza, observing the group with no small amount of astonishment. These household guards all boasted powerful cultivations; it was clear they weren’t ordinary cultivators. Moreover, while the butler was dressed in the robes of a servant, he was an emperor realm cultivator. Even the aura he unintentionally radiated was enough to make Jiang Chen treat him with wariness. This group was definitely not a hodgepodge of wandering cultivators.

He observed them carefully, uncertain of their origins and not daring to use his consciousness to scan them. What if this group was from the Ninesuns Sky Sect or Eternal Celestial Capital? Even if they weren’t, attracting their attentions wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. What if they were on good terms with the two sects?

The group soon sorted out their arrangements as the butler gestured to have his men take the stretcher to one of the better rooms. He remained waiting anxiously at the door to the training ground. This matter had also impacted many of the wandering cultivators present, so they were all quietly observing the situation as well. However, they soon lost interest after a while, returning to their drink and conversation. The premises soon returned to its normal hustle and bustle. Since nothing else had happened, the small interlude hadn’t made too much of an impact on those present.

After half an hour, the men that the butler had sent out returned with various pill masters. Young pill masters, middle aged pill masters, even ones with long flowing beards made their appearance. Yet, not a single pill king was among their number. The butler looked a bit depressed, but he didn’t say anything. He had all the pill masters go into the room, ostensibly to take a look at the injuries of the man on the stretcher.

In direct contrast to the confidence with which they’d entered, all of the pill masters exited one by one with various expressions of disgust and helplessness. Some of them also looked furious, yet didn’t dare voice their feelings. It looked like they’d all been thoroughly berated. Jiang Chen’s sensitive ears caught the muttering of one of the pill masters, “It’d be tough for him to live after being hit with that poison. Even the gods will find it tough to save him.”

“Sigh, he’s been struck with such a rare poison at such a young age. What could even a ninth level pill king do if one was here?” The pill masters didn’t dare speak openly, but it was inevitable that they would grumble to themselves.

Jiang Chen grew curious as he listened in on them. What poison could be so incredible that they claimed that even the gods couldn’t save the victim? Out of all the disciplines he had studied, his studies in pill dao had gone the furthest. Moreover, poisons were but a branch of pill dao. There was almost no poison that truly lacked a cure in the world. Even the strongest poison had its counter. The only limiting factor was time; whether one could find the antidote in time, or whether the patient had enough time left for the antidote to work. There were incredibly few poisons that guaranteed death.

“Let’s hurry and go. As sure as tomorrow’s sunrise, this group has an extraordinary background. We’ll be in for it if they decide to take their anger out on us.”

“That’s right, let’s go. Who can cure the Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder?” The invited pill masters hastily took their leave without tarrying. They absolutely couldn’t afford to offend those who had invited them.

The Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder? Jiang Chen found this hilarious. If there really was a ninth level pill king present, he was certain that they would be able to cure this poison. However, the matter was nothing to do with him, so he didn’t speak up to correct them. The butler was quite anxious as he called over another guard and handed him a calling card, “Go pay a visit to the city lord and see if he has any connections who can cure this poison.”

“Understood.” His men were very loyal and efficient. The man broke into a jog as soon as he had open space, clearly making for the city lord’s manor. The butler watched him leave with a frown on his face, obviously not having a lot of hope.

Jiang Chen was speechless at seeing the fellow barking up any tree he could in his desperation. If one couldn’t properly treat the Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder, then the victim would die after laughing nine times. However, Jiang Chen still didn’t know where they were from. If these people had something to do with the Eternal Celestial Capital and was here to hunt him down, then not only would he not sympathize with the victim, he would actually applaud the situation.

The person sent to visit the city lord didn’t take long to return. “Lord Seven, the city lord is also at a loss.”

The butler was quite dejected and his tone quite displeased, “Since when has the city lord put on such airs? Even he can’t cure it, he doesn’t even bother to pay a visit after receiving our calling card? Looks like he’s filled out his wings, huh!” He had a belly full of anger and nowhere to vent it on. A thick sense of displeasure suffused his tone.

His man responded, “Lord Seven, it wasn’t that the city lord was putting on airs, but that there’s a sacred holy king from the Eternal Celestial Capital at his place right now. He couldn’t leave and said that he would come visit as soon as he gets the chance.”

“As soon as he gets the chance? Everything will be over by the time he finds the chance! Eternal Celestial Capital? Sacred holy king? Hmph! When did the Eternal Celestial Capital command more face than our Veluriyam Capital!” The butler’s rage flared. He clearly wasn’t buying the city lord’s act. He thought for a moment and gritted his teeth, murmuring to himself, “Must we really travel back to the Capital right now?”

The man hastily said, “Lord Seven, I’m afraid we can’t do that The northern gate is under Eternal Celestial Capital control and is only open for four hours a day. We must pass through their screening in order to pass. They seem to be hunting down an enemy.”

“Screening?” The butler arched an eyebrow, as if the rage in his belly had finally found an outlet. “Motherf*cker! Who the f*ck does the Eternal Celestial Capital think it is in the Upper Eight Regions?! When was it their turn to investigate us Veluriyam citizens?! Pack up, we leave immediately!”

“But… the young master’s injuries might worsen with the journey,” the man hastily spoke up.

“Will he get better if we stay in this dump?!” The butler also knew that the hardships of the road might worsen the poison, but to stay here was also to await death! How would they possibly keep on living if something happened to the young master?

Chapter 720: A Transaction Style Medical Consultation

“We check out and leave, now!” The butler was a fairly decisive person. He’d originally planned to find a pill king around Myriad Peoples City to treat, or at least delay the poison from fully taking over his young master’s body. However, he couldn’t believe that he couldn’t find a single person in the vast Myriad Peoples City who wasn’t a useless trash. Helpless, he had no choice but to rush towards Veluriyam Capital without even stopping to rest.

Veluriyam Capital possessed a territory that was more than one million square kilometers. Even if they were to rush back right now at full speed, they still wouldn’t make it to the capital of Veluriyam Capital. However, any place within Veluriyam Capital’s borders had to at least be better than Myriad Peoples City.

“Wait.” A voice suddenly sounded after the butler barked his orders. The hundreds of wandering cultivators currently present knew very well by now that this group hailed from Veluriyam Capital. No one dared continue gossiping while they were around, and so pretended to be chatting and drinking away. However, they were surprised to hear someone calling out to the group at such a time. Who was it? How were they so bold? Speaking up at such a time would only bring trouble to themselves, wouldn’t it?

These wandering cultivators would rather offend the Eternal Celestial Capital than someone from Veluriyam Capital. It didn’t matter what status these people possessed in Veluriyam Capital. As long as their identities involved these two words, then these people were automatically better than anyone else in the outside world.

Just take a look at those pill masters. Had anyone retorted after being scolded by the butler? No, they had only left with their tails between their legs. What did this mean? It meant that this group of people was absolutely not to be trifled with. Everyone looked towards the source of the voice the moment they heard it. They saw a wandering cultivator standing up and walking towards the butler.

The butler cast a sideway glance at the wandering cultivator who was drawing closer. He obviously didn’t expect to find someone among these wandering cultivators who would dare to interrupt him. “Who are you?” The butler stared at the person walking towards him with cool eyes.

Naturally, the person who spoke up was none other than Jiang Chen. When Jiang Chen heard that they hailed from Veluriyam Capital, an idea suddenly popped up in his mind. There was a possibility, but he would have to gamble on these people. “Who I am is not important. What’s important is that I’m a pill master.”

Jiang Chen real age was indiscernible from his outer appearance after going to the effort of disguising himself. From what the butler could see from Jiang Chen’s appearance and body language, he didn’t feel that this pill master was that skilled. So his response was a little cool, “Are you sure you’re better than all the pill masters in Myriad Peoples City?”

Jiang Chen laughed once and brandished his sleeves. He took out an item and flashed it at the butler, “I’m just introducing myself. If you cannot trust me, Lord Seven, then we can just forget about it.”

He withdrew the item while he was speaking. However, Lord Seven had a sharp eye. Even if it was just a cursory glance, he saw clearly that the item that had been briefly flashed at him was a pill king’s medallion. He didn’t manage to glimpse any other information about it, but a pill king’s medallion had a unique shape to it. He naturally identified it at first glance. The butler’s body shook for a moment, but he was quick to raise a cupped fist salute, “I apologize for my rudeness. I had not imagined that we would find a pill king right here after searching high and low for one in the city.”

“You flatter me,” Jiang Chen smiled faintly. He had acquired this pill king token from the second rank pill king Shi Zhen when he’d taken out Cao Jin and his group back at Mt. Rippling Mirage. He’d kept it with him all this time, and had decided to borrow its reputation right now. At any rate, exploiting it like this wouldn’t be a stain on Shi Zhen’s reputation. One could even say that Jiang Chen’s use of his token to fool someone meant that Shi Zhen must’ve cultivated ten lifetimes of good fortune. After all, Jiang Chen’s pill talent was more than a hundred times greater than his.

“My lord, I apologize again for my rudeness. Please, let us speak inside.” That butler immediately switched his attitude from arrogance to deference, his expression impossibly polite.

Jiang Chen smiled, “Let me go in and take a look. Whether or not I can actually treat him is another story.”

“My master and I will still be infinitely grateful for your aid. No matter if your treatment succeeds or not.” Butler Lord Seven lead Jiang Chen in with an expression of great gratitude.

Although Jiang Chen had overheard the pill masters saying that the young master had been poisoned by the Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder, there was no reason to take that as fact before he had a chance to see the patient himself. Once he met the patient, he would be able to tell if the rumors were true. When he entered, he saw a young man lying on the bed with a purple cast to his face. He looked like a human eggplant, and was so purple that it sent chills down one’s spine. Jiang Chen sighed immediately; all he needed was just a single glance, “It seems that the poison has spread throughout his body. If you were to head to Veluriyam Capital right now, he probably wouldn’t make it past three days.”

The butler trembled all over when he heard Jiang Chen’s words. He hastily said, “Please help us, my lord.”

Jiang Chen was immune to poison, so he wasn’t afraid of getting poisoned anymore. He sat on the couch and grabbed the sickly young man’s wrist without any misgivings. He placed his fingers on the patient’s wrist and began checking the latter’s pulse. Everyone was surprised by how brazen his actions were. After all, the pill masters who’d come earlier had all inspected their master very cautiously for fear of being infected themselves. But this fellow was so fearless as to grab their young master’s wrist directly? Was he really a pill king?

The butler Lord Seven looked a little awkward. In fact, he was starting to view Jiang Chen in a suspicious light. He had seen many pill kings, but he had never seen such a careless pill king until today. This person didn’t possess the bearing a pill king should possess at all. How could a pill king be this nonchalant? Wasn’t he afraid that the poison would spread to him too?

“Don’t worry, the Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder is spread through air. You haven’t been contaminated because it doesn’t transmit through skin, blood or saliva,” Jiang Chen explained indifferently after seeing the odd looks on their faces. Everyone let out a sigh of relief after hearing his explanation. Lord Seven still looked skeptical, but his expression relaxed by a significant margin. “My lord, can… can the young master be saved?”

After inspecting the man’s condition thoroughly, Jiang Chen sighed, “He really would’ve been beyond hope in a few hours. But now, he can still be saved. First though, I need to slow down the poison. The medicine to treat him can come after we buy some time.”

In reality, Jiang Chen could treat the Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder right now, but he absolutely had to refrain from doing so. That wasn’t to say that he wasn’t going to save the young man. However, Jiang Chen had an ulterior motive in saving this person. He needed these people to pass through the northern gate. If he saved their master now and they turned against him right at the gates, wouldn’t he have done all this for nothing?

“Do you have a brush and paper?” Jiang Chen asked.

“Yes, yes!” The butler personally located a brush, ink and paper for Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen wrote many ingredients across the paper in bold, cursive calligraphy. Most of these ingredients couldn’t actually be used to cure the poison; they were there only to obscure people’s eyes. “Obtain the ingredients written in this recipe. Make sure you prepare spares since this poison cannot be cured in a short time,” Jiang Chen instructed.

“Go, go get these ingredients according to the pill king’s orders,” Lord Seven hastily instructed one of his men standing to the side. “May I ask of your distinguished name, my lord?” Lord Seven asked carefully. He was a butler from a prominent force and thus wasn’t completely lacking in insight. Although Jiang Chen was dressed poorly, his bearing was absolutely extraordinary. He was completely immune to the pressure that the butler exuded. It wasn’t a bearing that just anyone could possess, and factoring in the pill king medallion, Lord Seven believed that this man must be of a prominent background.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly and said, “Must you know, Lord Seven?”

Lord Seven was startled for a moment, and he hastily laughed apologetically, “Oh no, oh no. It’s just that I would never imagine running into a pill king in a small place like Myriad Peoples City. It appears that my young master possesses great fortune, and that he is not destined to depart this world just yet.”

Jiang Chen nodded without trying to be modest at all, “He is quite fortunate. Had it been anyone else, they might not have been able to save him.” Jiang Chen wasn’t boasting either. Had he been anyone else even a pill king, they might not have been able to produce the antidote to the Ninelaugh Golden Buddha Powder.

“Yes, you’re right.” Of course Lord Seven wouldn’t refute his words at such a time. It was true that the many pill masters he had invited could do nothing, and yet this volunteer actually looked more reliable than them all. Although he couldn’t be sure that his young master would escape danger just yet, Lord Seven did feel a bit more confident when he looked at Jiang Chen’s bearing and heard his steady tone. It would be wonderful if his young master could be saved. If his young master were to pass away, he literally couldn’t imagine the consequences. “My lord, if you really can treat my young master, we will definitely reward you greatly once we return to Veluriyam Capital. In fact, everyone in my young master’s household would reward you greatly.”

Jiang Chen smiled and looked at this Lord Seven with deep eyes. He suddenly said coolly, “I wouldn’t have taken up this job if I were only looking for some great reward. Treating a patient is not without its risks after all. My reputation would be damaged if I failed to cure him.”

“Then…” Lord Seven was surprised. Why are you helping us if not for a reward?

“I’ll be frank. I may be a pill king, but I have some enemies that make it inconvenient to show my real looks in public. Since the Eternal Celestial Capital has sealed off the northern gate, it’s become slightly inconvenient to enter Veluriyam Capital without being exposed. I may not be the person they’re looking for, but if I were to expose my real looks while entering Veluriyam Capital, my enemies will most definitely catch up to me… Do you understand what I’m saying, Lord Seven?”

Lord Seven was a butler for a powerful faction, so of course he possessed an extremely quick wit. He immediately understood what Jiang Chen wanted after hearing his words. “Do you wish to borrow our power and pass through the northern gate, my lord?” Lord Seven asked tentatively.

“Is that a problem? If you cannot afford to provoke the Eternal Celestial Capital, then forget I ever said anything. We can part here and bid each other farewell right away,” Jiang Chen responded diffidently.

Lord Seven hastily grabbed Jiang Chen’s hand and said proudly, “The Eternal Celestial Capital may be mighty, but they are not yet qualified to interrogate those of Veluriyam Capital! When do you want to leave, my lord? I am afraid that my young master wouldn’t be able to endure the hardships of travel!”

Jiang Chen chuckled when he heard the generous proclamations. It was obvious that the butler hadn’t trusted him fully yet, or he wouldn’t have brought up his young master’s condition.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find some ways to slow the poison in his body. However, some of the accompanying ingredients can only be obtained in Veluriyam Capital. Without these herbs, his poison ultimately won’t be able to be cured completely.” He wants to play at schemes, does he? Jiang Chen naturally wasn’t afraid of him. They could hardly go against his demands as long as he was in control of the poison.

Countless thoughts passed through Lord Seven’s mind, but he said nothing in the end.

“Alright, we shall do as the lord says! From now on, you will be a visiting pill king of the Wei family! What do you think?”

A visiting pill king? The Wei family? Jiang Chen simply smiled. He had no idea who the Wei family was. “I heard that the Eternal Celestial Capital is willing to hunt down a young man at any cost. Can we really bypass inspection when we pass through the northern gate?” Jiang Chen asked tentatively.

Lord Seven sneered, “Our Wei Family may not be a top force in Veluriyam Capital, but we are a ninth rank aristocratic family. We represent the face of Veluriyam Capital itself. The Eternal Celestial Capital can dream on if it wants to inspect someone from Veluriyam Capital! There’s no way they will succeed unless they wish to start a war against our Veluriyam Capital!”

Lord Seven’s tone was matter of fact. Jiang Chen didn’t know exactly how much confidence he had, but he could only make this gamble and await results. At the very least, the butler looked confident. He didn’t have a better idea besides this one anyway.