Sovereign Of The Three Realms Chapter 1101-1110

Sovereign Of The Three Realms

(SOTR)

Chapter 1101: Bleakmoon Hall

Jiang Chen sighed quietly, but still hoped that his luck would hold up. “So the holy maiden’s brother is definitely not in the sect?”

“Of course, he was chased out of the sect when he was twelve. He wasn’t even allowed to stay in the Tilted Moon Region. No one knows where he went.”

“Do you mean that neither the Blue Moon holy maiden nor Holy Maiden Xu Meng know about this either?” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but ask.

“They would like to, but the Moon God Sect would never allow that knowledge to reach them. To be frank, no one even knows if he still lives to this day.”

It was blunt, but Jiang Chen knew it was the truth. He had never met his brother, so his father took precedence even though he was also concerned about his brother. After all, Jiang Chen had actually lived with his father. They shared a deep relationship with each other. He had never seen his mother, younger brother or younger sister before. Though there was still a bond of blood between them, it wasn’t as strong as the one he shared with his father.

This was about as much as he could glean from this person. He’d learned everything he needed to know. Jiang Chen pointed at the senior executive who’d answered him. “This guy isn’t bad, he can be allowed to live. You decide how he should prove himself.”

“There’s no better way to prove one’s allegiance than murder.” Liu Zhen laughed. The wandering cultivator’s gaze swept across the Heavensworn Four. “Take your pick from these four. You may leave immediately after you kill only one of them.”

The senior executive’s expression changed a little. It was one thing to betray the Heavensfall Society, and it was another to kill one of the Heavensworn Four.

Liu Zhen didn’t force him to make a decision. “I’m fine with it if you want to let this precious chance to live slip through your grasp.”

The senior executive paled at the change in Liu Zhen’s tone and cried out hastily. “Nonono, I’ll do it, I’ll do it!”

Beigong Ming was the first person to turn pale when he heard this. He was certain that this senior executive was going to kill him because they had argued with each other for the right to answer first earlier. Emperor Peerless smiled and poked at the air twice with his finger. It unlocked the restriction on the senior executive’s body.

The senior executive was pale, but strong determination was etched on his face. Anyone could see that he was prepared to kill. Beigong Ming had thought at first these people wouldn’t dare do so, because they should’ve done so a long time ago if they dared, but it was obvious that this was being too naive. Not only were these enemies utterly out of control, they were tactically breaking the Society up from inside. Judging from the expression on the senior executive’s face, he was obviously planning to kill Beigong Ming to prove his allegiance.

“Wait!” Beigong Ming cried. “I’m willing to prove my allegiance too.”

No one could stay calm in the face of death, and he was not an exception to the rule. He obviously didn’t want to die just like this.

Liu Zhen chuckled. “Who else is willing to kill to live?”

“I am!”

“I am too!”

“And me!” The captives immediately declared their decision to betray their organization. It stunned the Heavensworn Four.

“Cowards!” The fourth brother of the Heavensworn Four cursed loudly.

“Aren’t you afraid of death?” Liu Zhen beamed at the fourth of the Heavensworn Four.

The man raised his chin. “Like hell I’m afraid of you! Touch me even once and the Moon God Sect will destroy you!”

Liu Zhen’s face darkened as he looked at Beigong Ming. “You wanted to prove yourself, didn’t you? Kill him then.”

Beigong Ming was troubled by this. The fourth Heavensworn Four was his sworn brother. Even if he had fallen out with his brother, he still found the idea of killing his brother difficult to accept.

“It looks like your sincerity only goes so far.” Liu Zhen said coldly, “It doesn’t matter. There are plenty of people who yearning for this opportunity instead.”

The wandering cultivator turned around. “All those who are willing to kill him, stand up now.”

About eight Society members instantly rose to their feet. They all looked eager to finish the task.

“That many? This is a dilemma. Who should I pick?” Liu Zhen pretended to be puzzled.

The wandering cultivator wanted to play, but Jiang Chen wasn’t in the mood to watch this ugly display any longer. “Wrap this up quickly.”

Liu Zhen nodded hurriedly and chose someone at random. “Alright, you do it.”

The chosen person nodded repeatedly and was about to walk over to do the dirty deed. It was at this moment Third Master Jing finally jogged over. “Wait, wait!”

Third Master Jing ran all the way to Jiang Chen with a fawning expression on his face. “If I may say something, young master Shao. The Heavensworn Four may be despicable people, but their patrons are extremely powerful. They even have the aid of a great emperor at the Moon God Sect.”

“So what?” Jiang Chen’s face turned cold.

Third Master Jing responded enigmatically, “Young master Shao, I may be able to introduce you to someone if you wish to inquire about Holy Maiden Xu Meng and that guy sold off by the Society.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and stared at him sternly.

Third Master Jing hastily explained. “It’s like this. Just now I heard that they’ve turned over that prisoner to a captain named Gu Xintang, and it so happened that he and I are acquainted with each other. So…”

Jiang Chen mulled this over before fixing his gaze on Third Master Jing. “Why are you defending them? You guys don’t look that close.”

Third Master Jing let out a long sigh. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t defend them at all. However, these bastards notified the first division and I happened to be present. If I don’t help them during their plight, then I may not be able to maintain my position for long.”

Third Master Jing was being quite forthright and truly did have his reasons to help them.

“Bleakmoon Hall is about to show up very soon. If you kill them now, you’ll be clashing swords against the Hall and immediately become the public enemy of Moon God Sect. If that happens, it’ll definitely complicate your attempts to inquire for information…” The third master was definitely an eloquent person. He had hit the nail in the head with just a few lines.

Jiang Chen considered this for a moment before nodding. “They may live, but they must suffer.”

As he said this, Jiang Chen took out a bottle of pills and passed it to Liu Zhen. “This is my exclusive poison pill. Feed them one each and kill anyone who resists.” Jiang Chen ordered coldly.

Third Master Jing didn’t dare go directly against Jiang Chen’s orders, seeing how firm the latter’s attitude was. He simply shook his head with a rueful smile on his face.

“This pill has an incubation period of half a month, and you can still be saved in half a month’s time. If I hear nothing about that person during this half month, then you may consider yourself unlucky.”

Liu Zhen personally made sure that the Heavensworn Four and a few hard headed senior executives swallowed the pill before he returned to Jiang Chen. He didn’t do the same to the small fries who’d announced their intention to leave Heavensfall Society, and it appeared that Jiang Chen was of the same mind.

“Third Master Jing, I’ll give you face and allow them to live half a month longer. If I can find that prisoner in half a month, then everyone will have a happy ending.” Jiang Chen smiled calmly.

Of course, if he couldn’t find his father in half a month’s time, then their punishment was death. No one in this world could cure the poison he created.

Third Master Jing simpered repeatedly. He would be a fool to disagree with Jiang Chen after the young man had given him face, not to mention that their relationship wasn’t deep to begin with. As the saying went, it would be wise to avoid conversely deeply with an acquaintance.

“Third Master Jing, I’ve already shown you my sincerity. Now it’s your turn to show yours.” Jiang Chen cast a meaningful glance at him.

Third Master Jing clenched his teeth and promised. “Don’t worry, I will contact Captain Gu Xintang.”

While he was speaking, a disturbance broke out from outside. Someone from the first division immediately came in. “Third Master, Bleakmoon Hall is here.”

A trace of excitement passed through the Heavensworn Four’s eyes. Jiang Chen sneered and said nothing about Bleakmoon Hall’s arrival. It was clear that he didn’t think much about them. When Third Master Jing saw the unfriendly look on Jiang Chen’s face, he frantically interjected, “Please allow me to communicate with Bleakmoon Hall first before you decide whether to act against them, young master Shao.”

Bleakmoon Hall had been very concerned when they received the Heavensworn Four’s report. They immediately sent two enforcer teams with a captain each to the scene immediately.

Third Master Jing walked out with quick steps and noted a group of fully armed enforcers. He immediately recognized that the captains belonged to the Purple Moon faction.

“You’re finally here, captains.” Third Master Jing swiftly walked out to meet them.

The two captains stared at Jing Third before exchanging a glance with each other. One of them frowned slightly. “Jing Third? Why are you here?”

The third master smiled. “I dearly wish I was somewhere else, but it is not in my place to ignore the Heavensworn Four’s most urgent cry for help.”

“Hmph. How are they doing right now?” The purple-haired captain asked coldly and somewhat rudely. He didn’t seem to think highly of Third Master Jing.

“Oh nothing, they almost lost their lives, that’s all.” Third Master Jing said with a half smile on his face. “I had to waste a lot of breath to keep them alive, but they’re actually still in danger.”

“What the hell is going on?” The purple-haired captain asked in an unfriendly tone. He was a little annoyed by the half-hearted explanation.

“Why don’t you head in and see it for yourself, Captain Luo?” Third Master Jing’s attitude turned cold immediately after he noted the captain’s impoliteness.

“Enter.” The purple-haired captain didn’t care for Third Master Jing’s opinion and ordered his men to enter immediately.

Jiang Chen stared at the Bleakmoon Hall enforcers coldly.

“You’re finally here, Captain Luo. But why have you only brought two squads with you? Why hasn’t the hallmaster of Bleakmoon Hall come himself?” The fourth Heavensworn Four looked a little excited and disappointed to see them. It was obvious that he was slightly disappointed by the size of their group.

Jiang Chen and the others simply maintained a careless half smile on their faces as they stared at the enforcers. It was obvious that they didn’t think highly of these people. Setting aside the fact that there only two squads, they wouldn’t be afraid even if a hallmaster did show up. Moon God Sect was a first rank sect, but they only had four great emperors. These four great emperors were old people who had lived for thousands and thousands of years, and they would never bother themselves with such trivial matters.

Chapter 1102: Youre Emperor Peerless?

The hallmaster of the Bleakmoon Hall was merely a half-step great emperor. There was nothing he could possibly do against a full-fledged great emperor. It was why many first rank sects were reluctant to offend wandering great emperors, even though they weren’t afraid of direct battle. They were worried that these great emperors would sporadically harass or annoy them.

Even a first rank sect would have to eat a great loss unless their forefathers personally dealt with the problem, but these eminent figures often preferred not to partake in these matters unless there was a threat to the sect fortunes or the fate of the sect was hanging in the balance. They would never appear under normal circumstances because a spar between two great emperors was extremely taxing. Unless matters had reached a point of no return, no one would ever want to make this sacrifice.

The purple-haired captain, Captain Luo, seemed very dusty and travel-worn. He’d travelled across vast distances without any rest, only to find that Heavensfall Society was already in shambles. This put him in a rather bad mood. And to top it off, the fourth of the Heavensworn Four had adopted an interrogative air and seemed to be complaining about the hallmaster’s absence and that the two squads he’d brought were insufficient.

“Ju Fourth, you like to talk big, huh. The hallmaster has a host of problems to deal with everyday! Is he your servant to come and go at your convenience?” Captain Luo was rather displeased. “What on earth are you playing at? What’s all this?”

Ju Fourth was extremely depressed. “We’ve truly barked up the wrong tree. Captain Luo, you needn’t bother venting your temper on us. Hurry on back to the sect and inform the hallmaster of this matter. It’d be best if a great emperor forefather was informed of this too…”

“Shut your mouth!” Captain Luo flew into a rage. “Why would a forefather partake in your petty matters?!”

Elder Luo was clearly no ordinary man if he could become a captain of the Bleakmoon Hall. He could immediately tell that the Heavensfall Society had provoked a formidable foe. Their enemy was clearly much stronger than the two squads he’d brought with him. His squads couldn’t even rival the Society in terms of fighting potential.

The Heavensworn Four was composed of high level emperors, of whom Cong Taiyan was the strongest, and these powerful figures were currently captives with no way to resist. Thus it was clear that their enemies were clearly no ordinary figures. Even the hallmaster of the Bleakmoon Hall wouldn’t be able to do anything to them, much less him.

“Fellow daoists, I apologize for being blunt, but are you the ones who did this to the Heavensfall Society?” Captain Luo asked without being too overbearing or meek.

Jiang Chen smiled blandly. “That is correct. Captain Luo, are you going to bring us to justice?”

Captain Luo smiled wryly in response to Jiang Chen’s subtle mockery. “The Bleakmoon Hall has always been impartial and just. Surely you can explain your reasoning and motive behind this?”

“There’s no need. These men clearly deserved death. The only reason I hadn’t exterminated them was because I wanted to give Third Master Jing some face. Since you’re from the Bleakmoon Hall, I shan’t give you any trouble. This conflict shall remain between us and them.” Jiang Chen didn’t want to have a complete fall out with the Bleakmoon Hall.

Captain Luo was dumbfounded. Just who exactly was this person? How could he afford to be so cocky in Tilted Moon Region’s territory? In this region, not many dared speak to the Bleakmoon Hall in such a condescending way. The young man was clearly from a very formidable background, but he seemed to be at most an initial level emperor. Emperors were rare in this region, but they weren’t all that far and few between.

Captain Luo swept a complicated gaze at Emperor Peerless and Madame Yun and was suddenly lost in thought. Third Master Jing approached him and advised bluntly. “Captain Luo, this genuinely is a private feud between them.”

Captain Luo clearly didn’t like Third Master Jing very much either and responded with a cold snort. “Jing Third, I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

Third Master Jing forced a smile. “I’ve no interest in telling you what to do. I’m just explaining the situation. Feel free to enforce the law if you want to. Just don’t blame me when you eat a great loss.”

Captain Luo was rendered speechless. Another captain suddenly stepped forwards and raised his cupped fist at Jiang Chen. “Friend, all things should be done within reason. What exactly is the nature of your feud with the Heavensfall Society? As long as you’re in our territory, we have the authority to question you!”

“Is that so?” Jiang Chen laughed mockingly. “Go ahead and enforce your authority then. We’ll see who gets the last laugh in this matter.

“We go.” Jiang Chen made a sweeping gesture and left. He clearly didn’t want to waste any more of his breath on the two captains.

This action made the two captains absolutely livid. Should they stop him? They weren’t confident that they could. Especially not when Emperor Peerless had flared some of his aura. Even the slightest great emperor aura was enough to make them tremble in their boots.

“Captain Luo, stop them! They’ve poisoned us! Who’s going to give us the antidote if they leave?” Ju Fourth yelled loudly.

Captain Luo threw a cold and vicious glare at Ju Fourth. “Shut your mouth!”

He summoned his courage and appeared in front of Jiang Chen after a flash of his figure. The others naturally wouldn’t stand idly after their captain had made a move. They quickly charged forward and barricaded the entrance with a formation.

Jiang Chen laughed angrily as he sized Captain Luo up. “Captain, I’m not trying to scare you, but in terms of strength, your two squads are actually weaker than the Heavensfall Society. Do you honestly think you can stop us when not even Cong Taiyan could?”

Captain Luo was once again speechless. It was their duty to subdue these people, but this was clearly beyond their abilities. They should really refrain from such futile efforts.

Emperor Peerless suddenly approached the captain with a gentle smile on his face. He patted the captain on the shoulder. “Captain Luo, is it? Pass on a message to your sect master and tell him that Mo Wushuang sends his regards.”

Mo Wushuang?!

Captain Luo was dumbfounded when he heard the name. “E-esteemed elder… you’re Emperor Peerless?” He asked as his face slowly turned as red as a tomato.

The emperor smiled blandly. “That’d merely a title that the jianghu has given to me out of admiration. I’m just a wandering dandelion that has yet to take root.”

Wandering cultivators often described themselves as a floating dandelion. The emperor was being modest. Captain Luo naturally wouldn’t take his words seriously. Color drained from everyone’s faces when the emperor revealed his identity. The Heavensworn Four were utterly flabbergasted. They finally realized who they’d offended and how frighteningly scary he was. Their faces were ashen with regret as they sighed inwardly.

“Esteemed senior, this matter is definitely beyond what we juniors can handle. It’s also beyond the jurisdiction of the Bleakmoon Hall too. I’ll make sure to report this matter to our hallmaster so that he may relay your greeting to the sect master.” Captain Luo was very quick witted. He immediately expressed his apologies in a manner that was both appropriate and sensible when he noticed that things had turned south.

The Heavensworn Four were indeed backed by the Moon God Sect. The sect supported their tyrannical and despotic acts, but they had no qualms sacrificing them when push came to shove. It clearly wasn’t worth offending a wandering great emperor over them. The Four were as pale as a ghost when they heard Captain Luo’s humbling voice. They knew at that point that their fates were now set in stone. The sect was powerful, but they would never risk offending a long established great emperor for them.

After the Bleakmoon Hall’s departure, the Heavensworn Four started to beg and plead like a group of defeated fighting cocks. There was no longer any animosity in their eyes. It had long been replaced by complete submission. There was no reason to further antagonize an enemy that they could do nothing against.

“Senior Peerless, it’s our fault for being as ignorant as a pig! Please forgive us for offending you!” Beigong Ming was the first to get on his knees.

Cong Taiyan swallowed his pride as well. “Senior Peerless, I realize that I’m a huge scoundrel, but we didn’t offend you on purpose! We shouldn’t be blamed for what happened! If the Moon God Sect hadn’t set that rule, why would we send that man to them?”

“Senior, please show us some mercy and let us make amends!” Beigong Ming pleaded.

The fiasco from before had caused an enormous crack within the Heavensworn Four. However, they were too busy begging for their lives to care about such trivial matters. From here on out, the Heavensworn Four and the Society would cease to exist. Closing shop for good was the best choice of action after offending a great emperor.

Emperor Peerless responded blandly. “Sir Shao has the last say in this matter. I’m merely his henchman.” The emperor was extremely straightforward. He didn’t feel the slightest shame for saying that he was a henchman. In fact, he was more than happy to serve Jiang Chen.

It was Jiang Chen who rescued him and his wife from the gates of hell after all. It was only right that he’d do his savior a favor.

“Sir Shao, I knew that you were no ordinary man! Please give us a chance! We’re one of the local heads in this place. If you give us a chance, we definitely make it up to you!” Beigong Min pleaded miserably.

Make amends? Make it up to me? Jiang Chen smiled coldly. Even a hundred deaths wouldn't be enough to make amends if his father was dead because of them.

Chapter 1103: Third Master Jings Wish to Befriend Jiang Chen

“The only thing you lot can do is to pray that that man is safe. If he’s safe and I happen to be in a good mood, then maybe I’ll let you live. Otherwise… you know the consequences.” Jiang Chen didn’t wish to waste more breath, so he left with a flourish of his sleeves. The others followed behind him. As for the remaining pathetic souls, no one cared if they lived or died.

Third Master Jing glanced at the Heavensworn Four while doing his best to suppress his mirth. Sighing fakely with regret, he too walked towards outside. His smile bloomed like a flower the second he stepped out of the door. Delight was the only thing he felt from the Heavensworn Four’s misery. Normally, the four were so arrogant that their noses were in the air. They never showed him any respect at all despite his position.

Third Master Jing might be an asshole, but he was also the vice head of the first division and an official representative of the Moon God Sect. What was the Heavensworn Four? Sure, they had a patron in the sect, but it was also impossible for an underworld faction to gain official recognition. These tyrants who didn’t even have official recognition strutted before him and had given him no face for the longest time, so of course Third Master Jing wasn’t happy with them.

Frankly, the Heavensworn Four should be thankful that he had the self-control not to set off a few fireworks in celebration of their misery. It was only natural that he would feel a comforting sense of schadenfreude. At the same time however, the third master was struck by a lingering sense of fear and thankfulness. After all, had he made a single mistake when Jiang Chen showed up, he might’ve ended like the Heavensworn Four. Death was not an impossibility either.

Luckily for him, he was a flexible man. He had submitted immediately when he judged the situation to be against him. He felt ashamed at the time to behave so in front of his subordinates, and the flushing of his cheeks didn’t fade even after he returned to the division. But now, he couldn’t help but thank his lucky stars for making a decision that turned out to be so impossibly wise. If he hadn’t caved back then, he doubted that his fate would be much better than the Heavensworn Four’s. A wise man submits to the circumstances. This was Third Master Jing’s law of survival. After witnessing the Heavensworn Four’s downfall, he thought even better of his own principle.

“Young master Shao, the Heavensworn Four is an underground faction and a cancer to Frostmoon City that I’ve wished to eliminate since a long time ago.” Third Master Jing hurriedly caught up to Jiang Chen’s group and beamed passionately at the young man. “However, they were too powerful at the time and they were supported by some powerful people. Your feat today is something that gladdens everyone’s hearts, and I’m sure that countless people would make a memorial tablet for you if this news were to be made public.”

His words might be honeyed with thick flattery, but some parts of it were definitely true. Heavensfall Society was without a doubt the biggest cancer in Frostmoon City. Third Master Jing might be an overbearing vice head, but it wasn’t to the point where he would shrink from no crime. True, he was a bit arrogant, greedy and sometimes ruthless, but compared to the Heavensworn Four he was practically a good guy.

The Heavensfall Society was a faction that committed all sorts of evil. Again, the third master had no doubt that there was at least a number of people who hated him to the bone, but compared to Heavensfall Society it was like comparing an ant to an elephant. The Society was hated by everyone, and their name was literally the synonym for evil in Frostmoon City. The name “Heavensworn” Four could shut up even crying babies in the night.

“Third Master Jing, I doubt there’s anyone here who’s happier than you to witness the fall of Heavensfall Society, am I right? No need to hold it in, you can laugh as much as you wish.” Jiang Chen smiled.

Third Master Jing laughed. “You are truly a humorous man, young master Shao. I admit that Heavensfall Society has been a thorn in my side for the longest time. After all, we are technically the face of our sect, so we cannot completely ignore the wicked deeds they commit. But if I were to seek them out and tell them to tone things down a little, they would show me, the vice head of the first division, a terrible attitude. Would you be able stomach this? So I’ll be honest with you, young master Shao. I’m quite happy right now.”

Jiang Chen nodded before asking suddenly, “You haven’t forgotten your promise, have you?”

Third Master Jing responded quickly, “I was just going to talk to you about this, young master Shao. I will be leaving you to inform Captain Gu Xintang about your request right away. If you have nothing else to do, please feel free to make yourself comfortable in the division building. I guarantee that Captain Gu will show up if he’s not held up with a mission right now.”

As it turned out, Third Master Jing was quite well acquainted with Gu Xintang. His invitation hadn’t gone out for more than four hours before the captain showed up at the division building. The third master didn’t know why his guests were so interested in Holy Maiden Xu Meng, but he knew very well what to ask and what not to ask.

After he had returned to the division that day, Third Master Jing had investigated Jiang Chen’s title. When the news of Pillfire City had reached his ears, he immediately made a connection between Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless and the arena lords of the Bounty Arena. This made it easy for him to connect the dots between the two pairs.

Emperor Peerless’ reputation need not be further elaborated upon. There was almost no one who hadn’t heard about him. Perhaps not even the Moon God Sect was willing to offend such a powerful person. As for young master Shao, he had performed shockingly well in the Bounty Arena and had become the bounty king. There was even intelligence noting that young master Shao’s background might be shockingly profound. Although Third Master Jing couldn’t imagine how important young master Shao was, he was sure that the young master was no ordinary person considering that he frightened even the powers of Pillfire City. Honestly, there were no powers in the entire Upper Eight Regions or even the human domain that would inspire wariness in the Pillfire City. This meant that young master Shao might hail from an even more mysterious place.

Third Master Jing was a member of a first rank sect and his knowledge and experience was greater than most people. He’d sometimes heard rumors that there were more mysterious and unfathomable places in Divine Abyss Continent. He suspected that young master Shao came from one of those places. Otherwise, there was no explanation for how a man as young as he would claim all the limelight in an event like the Bounty Arena, surpassing even Emperor Peerless and Pill King Blue Phoenix in terms of fame.

Moreover, Emperor Peerless’ current attitude towards young master Shao piqued his curiosity even more. That was why he spared no effort in currying favor with Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless.

“Brother Gu, you haven’t set aside official business to come here, have you?” Third Master Jing might be a bastard, but he had always been good in the art of socializing. His greeting was both affectionate and warm.

“I couldn’t possibly miss your invitation, can I? I’m not on duty today, so there’s no official business for me to handle.” Gu Xintang looked to be about thirty or forty years old. Of course, that was just appearance, his true age was most definitely greater than forty. After all, he was a captain in Bleakmoon Hall of Moon God Sect. He couldn’t possibly hold his post if he was that young.

“Hehe, I have a task I’ll like to entrust you with, brother. At the same time, I’ll like to introduce you to a few important people.”

“Oh? Which VIP have you invited today?” Gu Xintang looked a little overwhelmed. As a captain of Bleakmoon Hall, Gu Xintang was in fact at the same level as Third Master Jing, the vice head of the first division. However, Gu Xintang’s background, network and supporters were far inferior to Third Master Jing’s. That was why when the third master had invited him, Gu Xintang didn’t think much and just answered the summons.

There was a large hall and a banquet already laid out. Jiang Chen, Long Xiaoxuan, Emperor Peerless and Madame Yun were all present at the table. Liu Zhen had declined from attending the feast because he was feeling slightly self conscious. He wasn’t completely clueless. He knew very well that he would stand out like a sore thumb even if he sat in the most inconspicuous seat because of his status and strength, or rather lack thereof.

“Come, come! Allow me to make some brief introductions, in fact let me introduce them to you first, Brother Gu. This here is Emperor Peerless, the famous pillar of the wandering cultivator community!”

“Emperor Peerless?” Gu Xintang turned pale with shock. “A great emperor?”

Third Master Jing predicted that Gu Xintang would lose his composure slightly, and so he smiled and said, “That’s right, he is Senior Peerless. That aside, Senior Peerless doesn’t care much for courtesies and is a very amiable man. Oh right, this here is his wife, Madame Yun.”

It took a long time before Gu Xintang recovered from his daze and made a hasty bow. “The junior greets Senior Peerless and Madame Yun.”

Emperor Peerless smiled calmly. “You are too kind. I am just a wandering cultivator, and I don’t mind a lack of pleasantries.”

“Brother Gu, this here is young master Shao and young master Long. They may look young, but they are both top rate geniuses. In the Upper Eight Regions, they are without a doubt the best geniuses you can find out there.”

“They really are as young as you say. How impressive.” Gu Xintang was shocked to find how profound Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan’s cultivation and bearing were despite their age.

“Brother Gu, you are a captain of Bleakmoon Hall at your prime age. Your future is just as boundless.” Jiang Chen also sighed.

This wasn’t undue flattery. Gu Xintang definitely deserved to be viewed as an important figure. Everyone introduced themselves to each other before Third Master Jing finally beckoned everyone to take a seat. After the drinks cycled through the table for a couple of rounds, Third Master Jing looked at Gu Xintang. “Brother Gu, I won’t beat around the bush anymore. Today, I have a very serious question I’ll like to ask you.”

Gu Xintang looked slightly surprised. “Please speak, Third Master.”

“Do you still remember when the Heavensfall Society escorted a man to the Moon God Sect? Were you in charge that day?”

Gu Xintang’s forehead wrinkled when he heard this. “I remember. The man had been captured by Heavensfall Society for inquiring about a taboo. I am the one on duty and took charge of his custody that day.”

“Where is he now?” Third Master Jing asked in a low tone.

Gu Xintang looked surprised. “Where? I don’t know. I ordered my subordinates to throw him into the Sable Cells of the sect.”

“What?” Third Master Jing’s complexion turned deathly pale. The Sable Cells were an exceedingly terrifying place...

Chapter 1104: A Ray of Hope

Gu Xintang was thoroughly confused. He didn’t understand why Third Master Jing was so agitated. The third master was asking after something insignificant at best. An origin realm cultivator was hardly relevant in the grand scheme of things. Gu Xintang hadn’t even dealt with the matter himself. Instead, it had been delegated to subordinates. As an enforcer of the Bleakmoon Hall, he hardly needed to personally take care of the likes of ants.

“Why’re you asking all of a sudden, Third Master?” Gu Xintang couldn’t resist shooting back.

The third master was a bit white in the face. He snuck a glance at Jiang Chen to gauge the latter’s opinion. The young man furrowed his brow. “Captain Gu, what kind of place are the Sable Cells you speak of?”

“Where we keep our prisoners, of course,” Gu Xintang replied without thinking.

“So it’s possible for him to still be alive, after being tossed in there?” A ray of hope glimmered in Jiang Chen’s eyes.

Third Master Jing tried to look as expressively as he could at the captain. Unfortunately, Gu seemed to be immune to his efforts, and spoke honestly once more. “A dozen people die in that place every day,” he smiled apologetically. “Whether they live or die is up to them. Hardly anyone survives several months there. If they do manage to do that, then they’ll be able to stay there as long as they want. It’s a dog-eat-dog place, wild and barbaric.”

Jiang Chen’s expression darkened at that.

“Young master Shao, do you happen to be acquainted with him?” In the end, Gu Xintang was no fool. He could guess from Third Master Jing and Jiang Chen’s faces that something was up. The captain bore no fault in this situation. He’d only gone about his business as usual. Tossing the man into the dungeon instead of killing him outright was already a kind of mercy.

“Brother Gu, give it to me straight,” Third Master Jing sighed. “What’re the chances of him still being alive?”

“Quite low,” Gu Xintang replied truthfully.

“Can you go there right now and look for him? Consider it a heartfelt request. If this works out, I owe you big time.” Third Master Jing knew his way around social niceties. Seeing that Jiang Chen wasn’t in a position to ask what he dearly wanted to, he went straight for it instead.

Jiang Chen knew the third master was only putting on a show in a sense, but he nevertheless had to concede that he was being offered help. Regardless of how rude or despicable Third Master Jing had been in the past, he was currently being more than friendly. Jiang Chen didn’t have the stony heart necessary to retain his grudge.

Gu Xintang considered it a bit before nodding. “Third Master, that man touched upon the Moon God Sect’s taboo. He tried to gather information on Holy Maiden Xu Meng–something we expressly forbid, you understand. But since you’re asking me, I’ll do it for your sake. I’ll look into it right away. If he’s still alive, I’ll definitely bring him out.”

Gu Xintang wasn’t a slow man. He perceived situations well enough. If he refused right now, Third Master Jing would be most offended by the gesture. Not only the third master, but everyone else here as well. The others aside, he didn’t dare make an enemy out of Emperor Peerless. Once angered, a great emperor could annihilate him on the spot at the drop of a hat.

He was only a captain in the Bleakmoon Hall. It was dubious that the Moon God Sect would even attempt to avenge him. After all, they didn’t want to enter open hostilities with great emperors who were also wandering cultivators.

Third Master Jing hesitated a moment as a glint entered his eye. “Brother Gu,” he said, “there’s no one else here. I’m not going to try hiding anything from you. So, actually, can you bring Brother Shao and Senior Peerless with you?”

“Eh?” Gu Xintang blinked. Take outsiders into the Moon God Sect’s dungeons? That was something the sect expressly forbade. In that moment, he became somewhat suspicious of the group’s motives. Were they really here just for an origin realm cultivator? The dungeon didn’t have any other experts they’re interested in, did it? How could an origin realm cultivator be worth Emperor Peerless’s personal presence?

A long time elapsed in silence. Evidently, the contents of the request had shocked Gu Xintang severely. He wasn’t willing to agree without deliberation.

“Brother Gu, I’ve always respected your talent and ability,” Third Master Jing frowned. “Can you tell me why you’re still only a captain after all these years?”

Gu Xintang smiled wryly. “Third Master, I don’t have any foundation or backing in the sect. I’m happy enough to be a captain of my hall.”

“But you can do far more than that. What are you missing? Charisma or connections?” Third Master Jing’s tongue rang with the sound of silver. “If you want to be bold, now is the time. Here’s your big chance.”

Gu Xintang smiled wryly. He saw what the so-called ‘opportunity’ was. If he buttered up Emperor Peerless and made the emperor’s acquaintance, he served to profit greatly from the new connection. But it was easier said than done. There was the possibility of not finding the origin realm cultivator at all. And even if they did, Gu Xintang considered it much more likely for him to be dead than alive. Finding a corpse voided the favor. In fact, an undesirable conclusion was more likely to aggravate these people. His intuition told him that upsetting these people–great emperor, young man, and the rest–would bear serious consequences. The fact that he was of the Moon God Sect was irrelevant.

Jiang Chen took a deep breath. “Captain Gu, I know that you did only what your job demanded of you. There was nothing unfair about your conduct, and we really appreciate that you didn’t kill the person we’re looking for on the spot. It doesn’t matter whether he’s still dead or alive, we’ll owe you a favor as long as you take us to the cells.”

Emperor Peerless nodded as well. “Just like Third Master Jing said, you need to display your own charisma and boldness.”

Gu Xintang was a capable man. However, because he lacked solid backing from his higher-ups, he was often too circumspect in critical situations, not having the resolution or boldness to act decisively. The decision before him now was very difficult. After lengthy internal debate, he finally grit his teeth.

“Alright, I’ll do what you ask. I’ll take you to the cells, but you need to disguise yourselves before we go. Outsiders are absolutely not allowed into the sect’s restricted areas. And another thing: I need some reassurance that you’re only looking for that one origin realm cultivator. I cannot in good conscience take you, otherwise.”

“Don’t worry. I swear on my inner demons that I am, indeed, only looking for the person we spoke about. I will not cause any trouble for you,” Jiang Chen stated.

Third Master Jing chimed in as well. “Brother Gu, Sir Shao and Senior Peerless are both honorable people. They stick to their promises. You might not have a lot of faith in lil ole me here, but you can trust them for sure.”

Gu Xintang sighed softly. “I trust them, and I trust you. But for something that’s as important as this, I must take particular care. There’ll be no end to the ensuing problems otherwise. If the other captains find out, they’ll censure me. The fire might even spread to you, Third Master.”

“If anyone else finds out, I should think I’d be the most embarrassed of all,” Emperor Peerless smiled faintly. If a great emperor cultivator couldn’t take care of something so small, it would be intensely humiliating for him.

“There’s no time to lose. Let us depart right away. Captain Gu, tell us how we should disguise ourselves.” Jiang Chen didn’t want any further delay. Unnecessary time spent here translated to more risk that his father would be exposed to.

Both Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless dressed up a little according to Gu Xintang’s wishes. Their disguises as the captain’s subordinates were quite convincing. The two that originally accompanied him were arranged to stay behind at Third Master Jing’s place.

“Brother Long, we’re leaving Madame Yun with you. Take good care of her if anything comes up.” Jiang Chen instructed before leaving.

The dragon was a little dissatisfied. He wanted to participate in the ensuing activity quite badly, but Gu Xintang had only two spots. Jiang Chen’s accompaniment was locked in. Though Long Xiaoxuan was confident, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think he was superior to Emperor Peerless. Thus, he didn’t complain despite his unhappiness.

The Moon God Sect’s headquarters weren’t in Frostmoon City proper, but were hidden in the wilderness. Any regular person who didn’t have the coordinates wouldn’t even be able to find the entrance.

As a member of the sect, Gu Xintang encountered no such issue. He passed by several checkpoints, Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless in tow, before entering the Moon God Sect’s gates proper. Emperor Peerless suppressed all of his aura the entire way. The great emperor appeared just like a regular cultivator. He didn’t dare reveal the slightest hint of his great emperor realm cultivation. They were in the heart of the Moon God Sect’s territory, and being noticed was sure to induce unneeded misunderstanding and furor. Trespassing was a sensitive subject for any sect.

The cells were located in a secluded corner of the sect’s grounds. Gu Xintang was often sent here for guard duty. As the third-ranking captain of Bleakmoon Hall, he was obviously being sidelined intentionally. There was no other reason for someone of his strength and stature to do that job. After all, the work was hard and thankless.

Though it wasn’t Gu’s shift today, all of the guards knew who he was. His arrival, subordinates in tow, was far from surprising. Verifying the password was enough to get the trio past the outside defenses.

“That was the checkpoint on the outside. There’s another one further in. They’re a lot stricter there, and even I am asked questions if I come on a day off.” Gu Xintang transmitted to Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless as a discreet request for their cooperation.

It wasn’t long before they reached the inner area. The checkpoint up ahead appeared to have remarkably improved security. Numerous experts patrolled the place, and defense formations filled every corner of the entrance. It gave off a forbidding impression to onlookers.

“What brings you here, Captain Gu?” The captain on duty was stunned, surprised by his fellow captain’s unexpected appearance. This captain was another marginalized character in the Bleakmoon Hall. His ability and position paled to even Gu Xintang’s.

“Captain Qin, there was a prisoner that I dropped off here earlier. I remembered a few more things I needed to interrogate him for just now, so I’m here to pick him up.” Gu Xintang voiced a white lie.

Chapter 1105: Sable Cells

Still dazed, the captain took a few moments to collect his thoughts. He rarely encountered situations such as this, but who was he to stop the other man? “Captain Gu,” he said, “There’s no reason for me to prevent you from picking up a prisoner for interrogation. But, since you’re not on duty right now, can you show me your identification token?”

Of course Gu Xintang had his own token. Taking it out, he handed it over. Captain Qin glanced at it for a few seconds before smiling. “May I be so bold as to ask you to verify it?”

An identification token had to be verified by one’s own consciousness. Each token was matched to a specific individual. An imposter who attempted to infiltrate the prison would fail here. Their consciousness would not be able to match someone else’s token.

“Captain Qin, aren’t we old comrades? Is there really a need for this?” Gu Xintang scowled.

“If our roles were exchanged, Captain Gu, I would volunteer my cooperation.” The other captain smiled wryly. “It’s just that, you know, it’s my shift, and I don’t want…”

“I’ve always treated you well, Captain Qin. And yet you lack the most basic of faith in me?” Gu Xintang was displeased.

“If it were you in the flesh, Captain Gu, of course you’d have my full faith. But… I’m worried about imposters, right?”

The Sable Cells were an important area, off-limits to most.

“You certainly have an overactive imagination,” Gu Xintang spat angrily. As he said this, he activated his consciousness to show that it did, indeed, match his identification token.

The verification process having passed, apology flickered across Captain Qin’s face. “Sorry about that, Captain Gu. Just following due process.”

He looked towards Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless as he said this, clearly looking for their identification tokens as well.

“Captain Qin, are you intentionally trying to make things difficult for me? Is it not enough that I verified, and now my subordinates need to do it as well?” Gu Xintang’s expression looked even worse now.

The intense irritation in Gu Xintang’s voice sent ripples across Captain Qin’s heart. He looked back at his fellow captain and let out a long sigh. “If you put it like that, Captain Gu, then never mind. Go on in.”

The rules mandated that everyone who entered needed to have their identity confirmed. But Gu Xintang was a close acquaintance, and he’d passed the check himself. If there was no issue with the leader, how could there be with his subordinates? Captain Qin did not want to offend Gu Xintang any further than he already did. He was happy to offer the relatively casual favor in order to placate the other man.

Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless were impassive. When Captain Qin had shown intent to examine them, they'd both been prepared to subdue the man on the spot. Thankfully, the captain ended up giving Gu Xintang a bit of courtesy after all. He hadn't stuck wholly to the rules. Still, it had been a pretty close call.

Jiang Chen instantly felt that he'd entered an entirely different world when he entered the Sable Cells. This was a dark realm, filled with filth and fetid air. A nauseating scent assaulted the trio's nostrils. It wasn't the scent of feces alone. Putrescence, stench, and the stink of sweat mixed together to form a vomit-inducing potpourri of smells.

"This is how the Cells are," Gu Xintang coughed apologetically. "Please forgive the atmosphere."

Jiang Chen shook his head. "Let's start looking."

The Cells were very spacious. No individual cell was walled off, and any inmate was free to move within the space. The Moon God Sect had intentionally designed it to be so. In this way, the prisoners could deplete their own numbers via mutual bloodshed. The area was little different from a dimly-lit slum. The malice of human nature was on full display here, each and every moment.

As soon as Jiang Chen entered the Cells, he fully opened up his consciousness. God's Eye in tandem with Evil Golden Eye imparted to him a piercing vision that spread to every corner of the space. With utmost care and caution, he began the search process. There was corpse and bone as far as the eye could see. Ripped off limbs and jagged appendages sprawled everywhere, and dried blood caked the earth with a sullen brown.

If Jiang Chen didn't have anything on his mind, the sight would’ve affected him very little. Almost every sect had their own dungeons. Such areas were reserved for their most heinous prisoners and captives, in order to leave them to their own devices. Only the greatest among them ended up surviving. In fact, many sects went on to extend offers of invitation to said survivors. Of course, it was largely an invitation of convenience. They were given opportunities to redeem themselves and use their abilities to benefit the sect.

Those who were put into dungeons of this kind typically found the offers rather attractive. Their dark enclosures might not have taken away their lives, but it certainly took away their leisure and freedom. Existence down here was boring and stale. Therefore, those who were interested in regaining their freedom usually accepted the invitations. Of course, the basic premise was firstly survival in such a harsh environment. Having a life to experience future freedom was a basic prerequisite to receiving that opportunity further down the line.

Gu Xintang was mildly discomfited. He felt somewhat anxious. He’d been the one who’d ordered that man sent to these Cells, after all. Would the two in front of him really absolve him if that cultivator were found dead? Countless misgivings filled his heart. Deep down, he hoped for a miracle that the man was still be alive.

The food supply within the Sable Cells was sparse and limited. Furthermore, there were no resources for cultivation here. Cannibalism was a daily occurrence. Cultivators’ consumption of their fellows wasn’t merely to sate their hungers. Because of the lack of cultivation resources, they were forced to absorb others’ internal energies and bloodlines in an effort to increase their own. It was a cruel fact of life that nevertheless took place with alarming regularity. In that sense, the Sable Cells was also like a small criminal town. There were new arrivals and mysterious disappearances every day.

“How many people are there in the Sable Cells?” Jiang Chen frowned.

“About fifty to a hundred thousand,” Gu Xintang hurriedly replied. “Lower than fifty at its lowest, but usually above.”

Most dungeon areas did not even serve the primary function of holding prisoners. Rather, they existed to cultivate heartless murderers. In the spirit beast kingdom, many spirit beasts kept their young together in mutual competition until only one survived. The one that did was always exceptionally fierce because of the bloody experience. Adversity and carnage were excellent honing steels, after all. The Sable Cells applied a similar principle.

An origin realm cultivator wasn’t paid much attention here. In the Cells, they were the lowest on the literal food chain. Those who had the right of being locked up in the Sable Cells rarely acquired it without some other kind of distinction. Thus, several of Gu Xintang’s attempts at asking the locals drew up only blanks and confusion. None of them remembered anyone matching the description.

Additionally, Jiang Chen knew that his father Jiang Feng would never have used his real name here. That made gathering information beyond difficult. But it wasn’t in his character to give up. He wanted to find his father, dead or alive. Even if Jiang Feng was the former, Jiang Chen still wanted the corpse.

The Sable Cells were enormous, so they proceeded at a deliberate pace. Whatever new groups of people appeared in their sights were sure to be interrogated, but no clues arose. Jiang Chen’s glowering expression disquieted Gu Xintang. He didn’t know what he could do to wash his hands of the affair. His only choice was to grimly carry on forward with the expedition.

None of the prisoners in the Sable Cells were the quiet type. At the sight of Gu Xintang, they began to raise a fuss. “Captain Gu, you’re not on duty today, are you? What luxurious mindset brings you by? Looking for a place of your own, eh?”

Evidently, the captain was very well known here. His strict demeanor drew the ire of many inmates. There were a few that wanted to suck up to him as well, however. They wanted a chance to advance themselves and perhaps get out.

“Captain Gu, are you looking for helpers? What about me?”

“Take me with you, captain. I promise that no matter what your orders are, I’ll carry them out to the fullest. You’ll find no problems with my work, no sir!” Their faces were the very epitome of flattery.

Gu Xintang beckoned to them. “I have something to ask you about. Whoever can answer, come forward. If you have useful info, I’ll think about giving you a chance.”

“What thing? Tell us about it, Captain Gu.”

“I’m the nosiest of the bunch here. I guarantee you’ll be happy to have asked me.”

Gu Xintang kept his expression stoic. “Don’t start bragging now. Don’t try to lie to me. If you do either, I can ensure that you won’t live past tonight… much less get the chance at freedom you so desperately want.”

“No lies, no lies! How could anyone tell a lie to you, Captain Gu!”

“That’s right. This is already an amazing favor from Captain Gu. Lying! No way!”

Gu Xintang glanced at Jiang Chen before speaking further. “A few months ago, there was an origin realm cultivator who came here to the Sable Cells. Does anyone remember?”

“A few months ago? Origin realm cultivator?”

“Is there anything else, Captain Gu? This is too little to go off of. There have been at least a couple hundred to a thousand of those, so how could we know which one you mean?”

“Yeah, give us more. Even a few tidbits more would help. Appearance, name, nickname… whatever. If there’s a name, there’s a way.”

Gu Xintang thought about it for a moment. “This person was delivered to us by the Heavensfall Society. My subordinates brought him here.”

“What did he come here for?”

Gu Xintang was a little embarrassed, but answered nevertheless. “He asked about the Blue Moon’s secrets, specifically about Holy Maiden Xu Meng…”

Before he finished, one of the inmates uttered a surprised “Eh?”

The prisoner in question wasn’t particularly imposing, but he had a shrewd look in his eyes. Jiang Chen locked onto him immediately. He stepped forward, asking in a low voice. “Do you have any clues?”

His breathing hitched as he asked this. Clearly, any information about his father at this point was of paramount importance!

Chapter 1106: Whereabouts of Father Jiang Feng

The man pondered for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I do have an impression of him. He doesn’t seem to be in our zone.”

Gu Xintang was overjoyed. “Think harder and tell us everything you know. Remember, don’t lie.”

“You’ll be rewarded generously if you lead us to him.” Jiang Chen nodded.

The man noticed the hostile glares being cast at him and instantly knew that there would be enormous repercussions if he said any more. Plenty were willing to do anything for a chance to get out of the Sable Cells. And now, a glimmer of hope was within reach. If envious glances could kill, he’d be dead at least a dozen times by now. He’d also be dead within an hour if he remained here any longer.

The fighter mused deeply and glanced at Gu Xintang. “Captain Gu, I need you to make me a promise.”

“What is it?” Gu Xintang was unhappy that the man was trying to haggle.

“If the information I provide is useful, promise me that you’ll grant my freedom even if the person you seek isn’t found. If my information is useless, you still have to transfer me to another zone.” The man knew that he’d angered the masses here. Even if he couldn’t leave the Sable Cells, he would at least require a zone transfer.

Tens of thousands of prisoners were held in the cells. Its population was that of a city. Naturally, the place was segregated into multiple zones. There was a different ruler in each of the zones. The Sable Cells was said to be a lawless place, but everyone abided by a set of rules that no outsider would ever know about. If it truly were a place without rules, the occupants would all be dead within a month. It was impossible for tens of thousands to coexist in a place like this.

The fact that the population maintained in the tens of thousands meant that there was actually an ecosystem down here. New prisoners were constantly coming in to replace the dead. This cycle was essential for the Sable Cells’ existence.

Gu Xintang glanced at Jiang Chen and nodded without hesitation. “I can give you what you ask, provided that your information is useful.”

The shrewd man was elated. “Deal! Follow me. Let’s talk elsewhere.”

Jiang Chen exchanged glances with Gu Xintang. They nodded and followed the man to a slightly more secluded corner to talk. “Captain Gu, I’ve heard about the man which you seek.”

“Oh? Where is he?” Gu Xintang was paying undivided attention.

“I cannot tell you where he is for now.” The shrewd man was quite sharp. “I need you to make me a promise.”

“Didn’t I do that earlier?” Gu Xintang frowned.

“Nonono. A verbal promise is useless. What am I to do if you break your promise?” The shrewd man had survived in this prison for a very long time. He wasn’t the kind to trust others easily.

“What do you want us to do then?” Gu Xintang was very annoyed by his haggling.

“Very simple. Just solemnly swear to the heavens and earth that you’ll fulfill your end of the deal if my information is useful. I guarantee that you’ll be very satisfied with what I can offer. Moreover, the information that I have is very obscure. Not many know about it in this zone.”

Jiang Chen activated his God’s Eyes and stared at the shrewd man as though he was trying to peer into the very depths of the man’s soul. The cultivator quivered when he met Jiang Chen’s gaze, but he peered back without any fear. He was scared, but he was equally as determined. He made it obvious that he’d not keel under pressure.

Gu Xintang nodded after thinking about it for a moment. “Fine. I shall do as you say. If your information is genuinely useful to us, I swear to the heavens that I shall grant you freedom. However, if your information is useless, I’ll make sure that you’ll rot in this prison for the rest of your life!”

The shrewd man smiled when he heard Gu Xintang’s vow. “Rest assured. I’ll commit suicide if it really is useless. The man that you seek is a very unimpressive earth origin cultivator that also seems to be incredibly infatuated with someone. Ever since he’s arrived, all he’s done is mumble ‘Meng’er... Meng’er...’ all day long. Everyone believed that he wouldn’t even last three days, but…” The man suddenly stopped.

“But what?” A light flared in Jiang Chen’s as he stared at the man anxiously.

“It really does seem very odd now that I think about it. When that man arrived, he immediately caught the attention of a few bosses here.” The man chuckled. “Actually, many have seen the man you’re looking for. However, nobody paid close attention to him except for me. He kept mumbling ‘Meng’er… Meng’er…’ all day long. The guards who brought him here said something about how merciful they were for not killing him on the spot for trying to uncover the sect’s secrets…”

Opportunities were for those prepared. There had been many witnesses, but few paid close attention to the details. Everyone was only concerned with their own survival in the Sable Cells. Nobody would ever pay attention to such trifling matters, especially when the person in question was merely an origin realm cultivator. Nobody was interested in an origin realm cultivator’s gossip. Of course, that wouldn’t be the case if he was an emperor. Everyone would surely pay attention then.

An origin realm cultivator was simply too insignificant. Almost nobody cared or asked about him. The only reason the shrewd man knew so much was because he was a very meticulous person. He paid extra attention to this matter when he heard that it was related to a certain ‘holy maiden’. He was finally able to put his attention to detail to good use.

Jiang Chen was incredibly moved. The shrewd man clearly knew what he was talking about as he’d included many details that couldn’t be fabricated. He reached into his sleeves and took out ten Heroic Sage Pills. These were very beneficial to one’s cultivation in the sage realm. It replenished one’s energy and was a great source of internal energy. Its effects wasn’t as overwhelming as the Sage Smile Pill and didn’t offer an unconditional breakthrough in the sage realm, but it was more useful in the long term. The Sage Smile Pill allowed for an unconditional breakthrough, but it could only be used once. The Heroic Sage Pill however, could be used throughout the entire sage realm.

“Stop trying to haggle and tell me where he is right now. All you need to do is tell me where he is and these pills will be yours.” Jiang Chen was very generous.

It had been years since the shrewd man last saw cultivation resources. He gulped audibly upon seeing those shiny new pills. A gleam appeared in his eyes. “T-these… these are Heroic Sage Pills? Upper rank ones at that too?”

“You have an eye for quality goods.” Jiang Chen replied blandly.

“They’re all mine if I tell you where he is?” The shrewd man gulped audibly for the second time. Greed was written all over his face. He was a voracious wolf that had just discovered prey.

Gu Xintang gave the man a kick in the butt. “Stop talking nonsense and just tell us where he is!”

The man finally realized the nuances within the situation and began to see Jiang Chen in a new light. He’d originally thought that Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless were Gu Xintang’s subordinates, but he suddenly noticed how respectful Gu Xintang was towards them. They were clearly not subordinates. However, being the shrewd person that he was, he definitely wouldn’t say that out loud. He very much preferred to keep his head attached to his neck. He nodded without any more delay. “I made some inquiries on his whereabouts soon after that. If I’m not mistaken, he should be in the Ten Ultimates.”

Gu Xintang was aghast. “What did you just say?!”

The shrewd man nodded reassuringly. “That man is definitely in the Ten Ultimates. If he’s still alive that is.”

Gu Xintang flashed a complicated look at him. “Are you sure you’re not dreaming?”

“Captain Gu, why would I lie when my freedom is at stake? It might sound unbelievable, but it’s completely true,” the man replied resolutely.

“What kind of place is the Ten Ultimates?” Jiang Chen asked Gu Xintang.

Gu Xintang smiled wryly. “The Ten Ultimates is the scariest and also highest rank zone in the Sable Cells. The residents there are the strongest of all. Only ten are allowed to live in that zone at any given time. This is a silent rule which everyone acknowledges. If one wishes to enter the Ten Ultimates, one must challenge the powerful experts there. Thus, it’s an extremely frightening place to be in. Most captains wouldn’t even dare approach that zone. Only the hallmaster of the Bleakmoon Hall can come and go as he wish.”

There were multiple powerful experts in each of the Sable Cells zones. They were subdued and imprisoned in the Sable Cells for a multitude of reasons. Even though they’d lost their freedom, they were still more than capable of holding their own in the Cells and had climbed to the very top of the local food chain. In fact, they were all frighteningly powerful talents that could climb to the top of any food chain. In other words, they were all very ambitious and ruthless characters.

“Are the prisoners in that zone the strongest in this prison?” Jiang Chen asked.

“Definitely. The Sable Cells are a very primitive place where wits can never overcome brawn. One’s cultivation level speaks the loudest here. Every single prisoner living in the Ten Ultimates is a high level emperor. In fact, the weakest among them is actually an eighth level emperor.” Gu Xintang sighed gently. He genuinely feared the Ten Ultimates.

The Sable Cells was a very hostile place that brought out every drop of potential from within the occupants. An eighth level emperor in these cells might not be any weaker than a ninth level emperor in the outside world. There was no place to hide or find solace in a place like this. Everyday was a new struggle. To survive, one had to squeeze every drop of potential from oneself and display one’s power and ferocity at every given moment.

Emperor Peerless finally broke the silence. “Who cares what zone he’s in. Let’s go and have a look. Time is of the essence.”

Jiang Chen nodded. “Let’s go.”

Gu Xintang grit his teeth and nodded reluctantly. Their informant immediately turned pale. “W-wait! Are… are you really certain that you want to enter to the Ten Ultimates?”

Chapter 1107: The Ten Ultimates

The shrewd man was obviously very afraid of the zone. Even with Gu Xintang around, he didn’t think well of their intention to visit the Ten Ultimates at all. Who wasn’t aware in the Sable Cells that the Ten Ultimates was a place not even Bleakmoon Hall’s captains dared enter carelessly. Even on the occasion they had to go in, they would be on full alert the entire time.

Every fiend imprisoned in the Ten Ultimates was heartless and crazy. A mere captain had no right to put on airs in that place. If they offended these monsters, they might well be slaughtered on the spot. There were definitely such a precedence, and many times in the past as well. The captains wouldn’t be so wary of this place otherwise. Those imprisoned in the Ten Ultimates weren’t someone that a mere captain could intimidate. To put it bluntly, the captains were the ones who had to watch themselves and discard all airs, or else dire consequences befall them.

So how did the shrewd man dare enter the Ten Ultimates? He didn’t even have the guts to approach the area, especially since he was the one who’d raised it in the first place. If the experts in the Ten Ultimates learned that he was the one who’d revealed their secret, he wouldn’t survive their wrath even if he had ten lives.

“I’m not going, Captain Gu.” The shrewd man blurted when he thought up to this point.

Gu Xintang frowned. “Sure, do as you wish. If your intel is incorrect though, you better be prepared to stay in Sable Cells for the rest of your life.”

The shrewd man shook his head. “My intel is absolute correct. It’s what I concluded after gathering information from many places, so there’s absolutely no way it could be wrong.”

Jiang Chen tossed the ten Heroic Sage Pill to the shrewd man before asking in a low tone, “If the Ten Ultimates is as scary as you say, then why would their cultivators be so interested in an origin realm cultivator? What on earth are they planning by bringing him into the zone? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?”

The shrewd man smiled wryly. “Do you think anything good can happen in this place? I dare not say that everyone in the Sable Cells is an irredeemable criminal, but no one who gets into the Ten Ultimates has a shred of mercy left in their hearts.”

“What on earth are they planning?” Jiang Chen frowned.

“I’m not sure about the details, but I heard that the experts of the Ten Ultimates noticed the origin realm cultivator’s bloodline to be pretty uncommon. There was something interesting about his bloodline that drew their attention. Right now, they’re stuck at discussing about how to split the goods among themselves, but if I have to guess they’re probably fattening that cultivator so they can devour his bloodline power later. He’s only at origin realm after all. Things will probably change when he reaches sage realm or emperor realm.”

“And how long will that take? There are no cultivation resources in the Sable Cells at all.” Gu Xintang frowned.

“It’s true that there are no cultivation resources in the Sable Cells, but that doesn’t mean they can’t acquire them. To put it bluntly, the experts of the Ten Ultimates are far higher in the status quo than a captain like you. Do you really think that people like them would be completely helpless? Who know, they may even be in cahoots with a senior executive in Moon God Sect.”

Of course these people were imprisoned for a reason, but that didn’t mean their original contacts were all gone. No one in the Ten Ultimates was an easy picking.

Jiang Chen should’ve been absolutely furious to hear this, but not only was he not angry at all, his nerves even relaxed a little. It didn’t matter what the people inside the Ten Ultimates were planning as long as his father was safe for the moment. That was all he needed to hear. As for their plans, they were irrelevant. After all, what did he have to be afraid of with Old Brother Mo by his side?

That being said, Jiang Chen was curious about something. He knew that his father’s bloodline was nothing special at all. Jiang Feng was his blood-related father, so he knew exactly how much potential his father had.

The only way to explain this was that his father must have consumed the Five Dragons Opening Heavens Pill and successfully unlocked a bloodline that could cultivate all five elements. This bloodline was so rare that it might not even be possible to find someone like this in a hundred million cultivators. The pill itself was just a foundation-type pill used to establish one’s foundation when breaking through to the spirit realm. It was completely useless to an emperor realm cultivator.

Jiang Chen wasn’t willing to speculate beyond this. All was well in the world as long as his father was still alive.

“Captain Gu, we’re entering the Ten Ultimates. You may stay behind after you lead us to the entrance.” Jiang Chen didn’t want to drag the captain into this mess.

But Gu Xintang shook his head. “I’m going with you. My conscience won’t be clean if I let the two of you enter that place alone.”

The shrewd man looked anxious when he saw that Gu Xintang was adamant. “Captain Gu, who’s going to fulfill your promise if something happens to you in the Ten Ultimates?”

Gu Xintang cursed angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting!? There’s no need to be in a rush. I’ll keep my promise. Do you think everyone in the world is as cowardly as you are?”

The man fell silent. It was true that the cultivators of the Ten Ultimates were ferocious, but Gu Xintang was a representative of the Moon God Sect. He would probably be safe as long as he didn’t go overboard.

Still, the man couldn’t help but wipe away a bit of cold sweat on their behalf. Snatching food from the tiger’s mouth? It was a feat possible only for the greatest heavyweights of the sect. Otherwise, not even the hallmaster of Bleakmoon Hall might necessarily be able to take someone from the Ten Ultimates. In the end, the man still decided not to follow them.

Gu Xintang led Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless towards the Ten Ultimates. The man shook his head with worry as he stared at the departing group’s backs. He wasn’t worried for their life, but that no one would fulfill Gu Xintang’s promise if he died. Still, he’d gotten ten Heroic Sage Pills. It wasn’t a completely fruitless endeavor. Even if he couldn’t leave this place immediately, these ten Heroic Sage Pills were enough for him to increase a cultivation level.

“Gu Xintang is normally very rigid in his thinking, so what pushed him to act so recklessly this time? Who are those two? What are their backgrounds?” The shrewd man was extremely curious about their identities. He also clucked his tongue in wonder as he wrapped his hands around the ten Heroic Sage Pills. “Haha, I would’ve asked for more if I knew they were this generous. Speaking of which, those two looked utterly fearless for some reason. Can they really be a big shot or something?”

The man was both gossipy and smart. The more he thought of Gu Xintang’s reactions, the more he thought that the two strangers were extremely powerful and of important background. There was no way Gu Xintang would be so resolute in his decision to accompany them into the Ten Ultimates otherwise.

“I hope they’ll come back successful. My freedom depends on you all now.” The shrewd man yearned for freedom.

The Ten Ultimates was deeper inside the Sable Cells. It was also superior to the other parts of the Cells. The amount of wandering prisoners obviously decreased after they arrived at the Ten Ultimates. The environment of this place was absolutely incomparable to the other areas of the Sable Cells. Even more ridiculous was the fact that there were prisoners who cleaned and tidied the place up nicely. Although the Ten Ultimates still looked a little sparse, it was shocking to find a place like this in the Sable Cells.

“Tsk tsk, these ‘VIPs’ sure know how to enjoy life even in prison. A different person might’ve thought they’re here for a vacation.” Jiang Chen commented with a bit of mockery in his tone.

Gu Xintang smiled wryly. Even he thought that the Ten Ultimates looked a little too nice. A prisoner in the Sable Cells should at least looked like a prisoner, shouldn’t they? He wasn’t in the position to comment about this though.

Just as they were approaching the Ten Ultimates, a group of people suddenly walked out from the buildings on the left and right. They were all staring at Gu Xintang unkindly.

A one-eyed man asked coldly, “Captain Gu? Are you the one on duty today?”

This one-eyed man was obviously not one of the Ten Ultimates. He was more of a watchdog. If he was one of the experts, then Gu Xintang might’ve considered showing him a bit of courtesy. But he was just a gatekeeper, so the captain was quite displeased with his attitude.

Gu Xintang responded calmly, “One-Eyed Zhao, since when did you have the right to ask if I’m on duty today?”

The gatekeeper obviously had one eye left, but Gu Xintang had purposely called him a blind man. A trace of cruelty flashed across the gatekeeper’s remaining eye before he quickly concealed it.

“I can’t care less about your business, but I must warn you’ll be crossing a line if you come any further. There are places you can’t enter just because you feel like it.” A tinge of warning and threat colored the one-eyed man’s tone.

“Bullshit! This is the Sable Cells, and I’m the captain who oversees the Sable Cells. There is nowhere in this place that I cannot go. Who the hell do you think you are to question my right, One-Eyed Zhao?” Gu Xintang didn’t care to be polite at all. He wasn’t a person who would suffer a threat from a gatekeeper no matter how good-tempered he was.

“Tsk tsk, you sure are awe-inspiring today, Captain Gu. Sure, feel free to ignore my kind-hearted warning like the ignorant fool you are. None of us will try to stop you. Come on, show us that you have the balls to walk right on through.” The one-eyed man ridiculed him merrily and actually waved away all of his men. He ignored Gu Xintang and his group entirely.

There was no reason for the captain to back down at this point, so he let out a cold snort. “Pretentious bastard. Come on, let us continue forwards.”

Jiang Chen nodded. He had taken note of Gu Xintang’s performance.

Emperor Peerless also gave Gu Xintang a smile and patted him on the shoulder as a show of encouragement. “Don’t worry, we’ll hold up even the sky for you if it collapses.”

The great emperor’s words was like a surge of invisible energy that boosted his spirits massively. Gu Xintang immediately felt as steady as having eaten a tranquilizer. He strode forwards and led Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless into the depths of the Ten Ultimates.

It was obvious to the denizens of the Ten Ultimates that someone had intruded on their playground. This was a very, very rare occurrence, as even Bleakmoon Hall’s men had to report to them and obtain their permission before they were allowed to enter.

Had someone seriously just entered without permission today? Were they looking down on the Ten Ultimates? The experts of the zone might fight against each other often, but they were quite united in their desires to protect their own territory. They called out to each other and emerged from their hidey holes, completely surrounding Gu Xintang and Jiang Chen.

Chapter 1108: One Hit K.O.

“Gu Xintang, you stubborn fool. I warned you a long time ago, didn’t I? How dare a mere captain look down on the mighty Ten Ultimates? Do you think that this is a place like anywhere else where you can come and go anytime you want?” The one-eyed man crawled out of his corner again to scold Gu Xintang self-righteously. None of the ten great experts were speaking, but the one-eyed man had spoken up first. This showed that he must be one who held foremost authority beneath the ten great experts. He was likely a butler of some kind.

Gu Xintang cupped his hands together and spoke evenly. “Everyone, I am here to perform an official investigation today, so please bear with me.”

The captain’s words were fair, but he still sounded a bit uncertain. It was understandable, considering he was facing a bunch of ruthless monsters. Another captain might have turned pale and stuttered in fright already.

“Shut it!” An old man with hair as white as cranes’ feathers, but a face as young as a child’s scolded Gu Xintang as his expression darkened. “Who the hell do you think you are? Did the hallmaster neglect to teach you the rules? How dare an insignificant captain like you intrude upon our sanctuary? Do you think so little of the Ten Ultimates? Do you want me to teach you the meaning of the word ‘death’?”

Gu Xintang’s face turned pale and his mouth dry. He forced his own mouth open and tried to say something, but Jiang Chen walked forwards and stopped the captain. “Leave things to us.”

Gu Xintang could only nod in response and mutter, “Stay calm. Let’s see if we can negotiate this peacefully first.”

That being said, the captain himself wasn’t confident that a peaceful negotiation could be carried out in this place. To begin with, the Ten Ultimates wouldn’t be the Ten Ultimates if such a thing was possible. So what if logic was on their side? The experts here worshipped strength only. Those who were strong become the voice of reason, and those who were weak were only served the fruits of ‘reason’.

“Old Brother Mo, would you like to be the one to teach them the rules they speak of? I’ll go search for our man.” Jiang Chen winked at Emperor Peerless.

The great emperor smiled calmly. “No problem. Be careful though. There are no easy pickings around here.”

Jiang Chen nodded. Of course, it hadn’t escaped his attention that the weakest cultivator here was at least eighth level emperor realm, and the strongest cultivator in this place was almost half-step great emperor. That being said, he wasn’t a fledgling who’d just embarked on the journey of martial dao anymore. He likely couldn’t fight a half-step great emperor head on, but when it came to speed? He was fast enough that he dared challenge Emperor Peerless himself, much less these people! Nodding slightly, he activated his arts and transformed into a bolt lightning, cutting through the air. The Kunpeng Meteoric Escape enabled him to vanish instantly in mid-air like a meteor.

“You’re courting death!” The surrounding crowd cursed.

The elder with white hair and a childish face waved them down. “Calm down, no need to get worked up. It’s just a rat we can squash any time we want. Situ Ling, Wu Xutao, go catch that rat. The rest of you, stay here.”

The old man obviously held absolute authority in the Ten Ultimates. His cultivation, experience and knowledge exceeded everyone present as well. He was the closest expert to reach half-step great emperor, and right now he was staring at Emperor Peerless with evident realization that the great emperor was their real enemy today.

He has to be the reason why this ragtag group dared intrude into the Ten Ultimates. Although the old man couldn’t see through Emperor Peerless’ cultivation, his instincts were telling him that this man would be a very difficult opponent.

Emperor Peerless smiled calmly as he glanced at the old man with white hair and a childish face. He said leisurely, “He Fenghui, Ole He. I thought you’d died a long time ago. I didn’t realize that you were imprisoned inside the Ten Ultimates. This is truly surprising. Did you offend Moon God Sect somehow? If not, why would someone like you be imprisoned in such a place?”

The old man’s name was He Fenghui. He was a famous cultivator in the wandering cultivator community. Although his strength was incomparable to Emperor Peerless’, he was on par with the two Geng brothers Emperor Peerless called friends. The old man occupied a high status in the wandering cultivator community, even if he fell short of being the best.

“You… you know my name? You can’t possibly be a nobody. Why have you disguised yourself as a small Bleakmoon Hall guard?” He Fenghui’s reply was full of wariness.

“Hmph, that’s none of your concern. I will ask you only one question, are you going to fight? Or are you going to stay there like a well-behaved boy?”

The threat made everyone in the Ten Ultimates grow furious.

“Who the hell do you think you are to act like this in the Ten Ultimates?!”

“Old Brother He, this guy’s so full of himself. Let’s teach him a lesson already!”

He Fenghui looked undecided. He had a feeling that this man was no easy picking, and he personally didn’t want to raise a hand against this man until he learned of his opponent’s true strength. However, it was also true that they would be shamed if they allowed this man to act like this without retaliation.

“There’s no need for hesitation, Ole He. I’m giving you all one chance to beat me. All of you, come at me together.” Emperor Peerless cut an impressive figure with this calm response, his hands folded behind his back.

“What?”

“This arrogant bastard!”

“Brothers, let’s cut him to pieces together and ask questions later!” The cultivators of the Ten Ultimates were all ferocious fugitives. They were usually the ones who held the power and looked down on others, not the other way around. Therefore, when they saw how cocky Emperor Peerless was and wanting them to all go at him together, their inner savagery immediately came to the fore.

He Fenghui himself narrowed his eyes slightly. It was obvious that Emperor Peerless’ words had enraged him greatly as well.

“I don’t care who you are, but you’re not getting away with that taunt in the Ten Ultimates. Brothers, since he wants us to attack him at once, there is no need to be courteous. Do it!” The moment He Fenghui waved his hand, eight figures pounced on Emperor Peerless with surprising rapport.

Emperor Peerless didn’t look worried at all by their charge. After gently pushing Gu Xintang out of the circle of battle, he activated his great emperor domain and instantly transformed the radius of thirty meters around him into his own world. The powerful great emperor domain immediately transmuted into a zone of both offense and defense.

The eight figures who charged forward immediately felt like they had run into an invisible wall and were forced to slow down. Speed and strength were both absolutely necessary in a battle between experts. When they noticed that theirs were completely countered, they realized that they’d run into a deadly opponent.

Inside his own domain, Emperor Peerless was free to do whatever he wanted. He quickly reached his maximum speed. He pointed with his finger repeatedly as he moved. These high level emperors might look fierce and intimidating, but they were like lambs to the slaughter the moment they entered the emperor’s domain. Their speed was completely suppressed and their strength fell below ten percent of their usual.

However, Emperor Peerless’ speed was completely unaffected. The only thing the eight noted was a blur before their eyes and a sudden coldness pricking against the center of their forehead. Their hearts pounded. We’re so dead!

He Fenghui, the only cultivator present whose strength far surpassed his peers, forcefully twisted his body and barely broke free of the domain’s restraint when he noticed the situation had taken an unfavorable turn. Then, he flew backwards like his life depended on it.

Emperor Peerless was faster than him though. Like a giant roc, he instantly caught up to He Fenghui despite setting out later. The great emperor pointed. “What’s the rush, Ole He?”

He Fenghui instantly fell from the air like he’d been electrocuted by the gesture. He landed beside his fallen companions.

Thump thump thump! The eight cultivators who attacked Emperor Peerless were taken out in practically a single move. The lackeys of the Ten Ultimates were so terrified by these turn of events that their legs trembled like leaves. They’d fawned on the experts of the Ten Ultimates and gained a sizable amount of authority as a result. They were able to strut around with authority normally because they had the Ten Ultimates on their side.

However, the man before them had completely upended their notions. The near invincible Ten Ultimates had actually failed to last more than a single move… What a frightening opponent!

Gu Xintang was just as stunned when he witnessed the heart pounding scene from outside the ring. It was obvious he hadn’t anticipated that the battle would end in such a simple manner. Every expert in the Ten Ultimates were diabolical criminals and masters of their generation. However, they were as weak and flimsy as a piece of paper before Emperor Peerless.

Gu Xintang couldn’t even begin to describe his feelings. Is this a great emperor? Is this a peak expert’s strength? Is this the gap between emperors and great emperors?

The captain seldom felt his blood thrum in his veins, but he did feel it today. In fact, he felt like his blood was boiling! He hadn’t participated in the battle, but he almost felt like he was the one who’d taken them all out in a single move.

Emperor Peerless wasn’t planning on taking lives and didn’t overdo things. As the experts groaned and scrambled back to their feet, they looked as dispirited as a defeated cock. All traces of ferocity and resistance had vanished from their faces.

Yes, they had submitted to Emperor Peerless. It was hard not to when he had taken them all out in a single move. He Fenghui gloomily made his way to Emperor Peerless before bowing respectfully. “I wasn’t aware that a great emperor has graced us with his presence. The fault lies in my ignorance. Please forgive us, senior.”

“We were blind and foolish to have offended you, senior. Thank you very much for showing us mercy.”

“Thank you very much for not killing us.” These people might be diabolical and fearless, but they weren’t nearly stupid enough to not realize that the great emperor had shown them mercy. If Emperor Peerless had wanted to kill them, that one exchange was enough time for him to kill them more than ten times over.

It was true that upper rank emperor realm was an impressive cultivation level that enabled them to call themselves kings and lords inside the Sable Cells. However, this strength was only built on the common sense that their opponents were either at the same level or lower. In the end, an emperor realm cultivator was a joke before a great emperor. The gap between the two was like heaven and earth.

Even the weakest great emperor could easily crush an emperor. This difference in power wasn’t something most could overcome, unless the emperor happened to possess an unnaturally powerful artifact that could reduce the odds. However, it was obviously impossible for these death row criminals to be in possession of such an artifact.

Chapter 1109: Father and Son Meet With No Recognition

Emperor Peerless completely understood their mindset as he was also a wandering cultivator. Fists spoke the loudest when dealing with their kind. Neither empathy, camaraderie, logic, or gratitude would work on them. They were a bunch of stinking rocks. Words would never penetrate their thick skulls. The best way to get their cooperation was to beat them into submission or win them over with bribes. It was futile to try anything else.

Emperor Peerless naturally wouldn’t bribe them. Force was his method of choice.

“Old He, what exactly are the rules that you speak of? I’m so very curious,” he asked blandly.

He Fenghui smiled ruefully as he begged for forgiveness. “Esteemed senior, please stop making fun of this junior. How could there be rules in a place like this? Strength is king! Anything you say will be taken as law here!”

Emperor Peerless pointed at Gu Xintang. “Captain Gu is my friend. He came all the way here, yet you wish to teach him manners? You wanted to teach him the meaning of death?”

“My sincerest apologies! How could we have known that Captain Gu was backed by such a large patron? We are very sorry! Truly!” He Fenghui replied in a self-deprecating way. “Esteemed senior, we assure you that Captain Gu will be our esteemed guest from now on! This will not happen again!”

Gu Xintang was extremely invigorated. He could finally hold his head high. The fear within the eyes of these villainous inmates gave him a sense of jubilation and gratification. So this is what it feels like to have someone behind my back. He sighed deeply

The one-eyed man walked up to Gu Xintang with a dejected manner. “Captain Gu, you are absolutely correct. Old Zhao is truly blind. Feel free to hit me or yell at me if it pleases you. I only ask for your magnanimity and forgiveness.”

Gu Xintang snorted. “One-Eyed Zhao, seeing that you are so sincere, I shall forgive you just this once. How dare you raise your voice at me just because you have the Ten Ultimates behind you? You’re just swaggering around with borrowed influence, understood?”

“Y-yes. I apologize for overstepping my boundaries! I deserve to be scolded for being too overzealous in my guard dog duties! A lesson learned is a lesson earned!” One-Eyed Zhao bowed submissively and resorted to flattery. He was glad that Gu Xintang had chosen to scold him. He would’ve been even more worried if the captain hadn’t scolded or beaten him, because it meant that the captain had harbored a grudge. If that happened, there was an enormous possibility that he might suddenly disappear in the Sable Cells one day.

Gu Xintang couldn’t kill any of the Ten Ultimates, but the same couldn’t be said for One-Eyed Zhao. Nobody expected the captain to have a great emperor as a friend. He was clearly pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger!

“Esteemed senior, may I ask what brought you to the Ten Colossal Zone? Is there anything I can assist you with?” He Fenghui asked courteously.

“I’m looking for someone,” the emperor replied blandly. However, he suddenly turned hostile again when he thought about Jiang Chen. “Old He, you’d better call back your two companions right now. If something happens to my friend, I’ll slaughter each and every one of you, down to the last chicken and dog in this place.”

Color drained from He Fenghui’s face. He could tell that the emperor wasn’t joking. He immediately gave orders to his men. “Quick! Go get Situ Ling and Wu Xutao! Stop them from making a grave mistake!”

Just when his men were about to leave, Situ Ling and Wu Xutao returned in a foul mood. Situ Ling yelled for reinforcements as he ran. “Give us two more men! That brat is too slippery! He uses a very strange art that makes it impossible to catch him! No, we need at least four to subdue him! Strangely enough, he seems to be looking for someone…”

The tense atmosphere made him suspect that something was up. “Oi! What are you waiting for? Are you guys deaf or are you mute?” he complained.

“If we don’t stop that kid soon, he’s going to overturn the entire zone!” Wu Xutao immediately added. When they got closer, the atmosphere became even more bizarre.

“Hey! Why are you…” Halfway through his sentence, Situ Ling finally noticed the unusual expressions on the crowd’s face. It almost seemed like they were… showing respect to the enemy?

What in the world was going on?

They weren’t complete idiots. Their hearts tightened upon taking notice of the unusual scene.

He Fenghui smiled wryly. “Situ, Old Wu, come make your greetings to the esteemed great emperor.”

Esteemed great emperor? The two were utterly dumbfounded. Their mouths struggled to form proper words. When they finally regained composure, they snuck a glance at Emperor Peerless.

“Esteemed great emperor?” They were certain that this was no mistake when they saw how respectful He Fenghui and the others were. These vicious men would never be so courteous if otherwise.

“Greetings, esteemed great emperor.” Situ Ling and Wu Xufeng greeted awkwardly.

“How’s my friend?” Emperor Peerless asked blandly.

“Haii… we couldn’t even catch up to him. Your friend is just too quick. We were completely stumped.” Situ Ling smiled wryly.

“Both of us joined strength and still failed to stop him. Esteemed senior, is he your disciple? His speed is extraordinary!” Wu Xutao complimented unreservedly.

The emperor smiled. “How could I possibly have the right to teach him? Stop talking nonsense. He has a master that’s much stronger than me!”

Stronger than me? What exactly did that mean? An expert stronger than a great emperor? Was that even possible? These men were content with being king in the Ten Ultimates. As time went on, it was only natural that they’d become a little ignorant.

Was there really a realm beyond great emperor? What could it be? The legendary empyrean realm? Were there really empyrean experts in the Divine Abyss Continent? At their cultivation level, there was no way they could confirm if the empyrean realm was real.

“Esteemed senior, you said that his master is even stronger than you? Is his master an empyrean cultivator?” He Fenghui sucked in a breath of cold air and asked cautiously.

“Mm. Maybe even beyond that.” Emperor Peerless sighed softly. “That’s enough. My turn to ask questions. The origin realm cultivator, you didn’t do anything to him, right?”

“What origin realm cultivator?” This was a perplexing question.

“Stop pretending. I’m talking about the one which all of you are fighting over.” The emperor’s face darkened.

“Y-you… do you mean the origin realm cultivator that was sent here by the Heavensfall Society?” He Fenghui was flabbergasted.

“Why? Have you already…” The emperor flashed a sinister look. His voice was cold and forbidding as killing intent gleamed in his eyes.

“Nonono. We are still… fattening him up. However, he doesn’t seem to appreciate our kindness. We’ve given him food and cultivation resources, but he doesn’t seem to want any. He probably wants to rebel until the very end.” He Fenghui replied apologetically.

“Bullshit! How dare you decorate your malicious actions as kindness?” Emperor Peerless flew into rage. “You were going to fatten him up for slaughter! You better pray hard that he’s still alive. Otherwise, not even the entire Moon God Sect will be able to save you!”

The crowd was ashen with regret. He Fenghui breathed a sigh of relief. “It's fortunate that he’s still alive. His body is currently a little frail, but he still breathes. Esteemed Senior, could it be that… he's somehow connected to the empyrean expert too?”

“Why else would he catch your eye?” Emperor Peerless snapped.

He Fenghui wore a wry expression as his heart beat furiously. It had been an extremely close call. If anything happened to that man, not even ten lives would be enough.

……

Jiang Chen was on his knees inside one of the cells in Ten Ultimates. His father was lying on the floor in front of him. He was in a very weakened state and barely had any breath left. Jiang Chen’s heart tightened, making tears rain from his eyes when he saw how haggard his father was. They’d been separated for almost ten years. His once vigorous and able-bodied father had gone through so much torment that he was now on death’s doorstep.

He felt a sudden urge to slaughter everyone in the area, but quickly regained his calm. First, he transferred some energy into his father to help restore his father’s qi. After that, he fed his father a pill to restore vitality.

Jiang Feng slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes slowly, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar face.

“Where is this place? Who are you?” His voice was rough and hoarse. A thought suddenly struck him and he immediately pushed Jiang Chen away. “You vicious and evil bastards! Are you still trying to fatten me up for slaughter? I’d sooner die than let that happen!”

Jiang Chen sobbed even harder upon seeing his father’s reaction. “Father, it’s been ten years. It’s this unfilial son’s fault for not coming to get you sooner!”

Jiang Feng shook with complete disbelief. “W-who are you?”

“Father, it was you who left me a letter, telling me that you’ve gone on a journey in search of mother. You told me not to follow you to the Upper Eight Regions, and that you’d kill yourself if I did. Have you forgotten all of this?”

Jiang Feng began to shake involuntarily. His chapped lips trembled nonstop. One could easily tell how agitated he was. His consciousness hadn’t fully recovered yet, but he knew that those specific details had only shared only between him and his son. The face in front of him was completely foreign, but the voice, manner of speech, and details, clearly pointed towards the fact that it was his son! This was clearly no imposter!

“Chen’er, is it really you? Am I dreaming?” Jiang Feng was in a very feeble state, but he couldn’t help but want to get up and get a closer look at Jiang Chen.

“Father, you’re not dreaming! I’ve come a very long way and went through every painstaking lead to finally locate you through your friend, Liu Zhen. The fates have bound us together. Nobody could’ve stopped us from reuniting!” Jiang Chen was also very agitated. He was elated to finally see his father again!

Chapter 1110: Rescuing Jiang Feng

Jiang Chen had despaired at first when he learned that his father had been sent to the Moon God Sect by the Heavensfall Society and then thrown into the Sable Cells. But hope had dawned in the end. Not only had he found his father in the Sable Cells, but his father was still alive, albeit extremely weakened. As long as his father was still alive, Jiang Chen would be able to restore Jiang Feng to his vigor of yesteryear.

He slowly transferred some energy into his father’s body to strengthen his father’s physique and vital functions. Thanks to Jiang Chen’s treatment from both inside and out, Jiang Feng slightly recovered two hours later. His vitals had stabilized, even though he was still very weak.

“Chen’er… is it just me, or is your cultivation… quite impressive?” Jiang Feng was slightly surprised. Naturally, he could sense the tremendous power concealed inside Jiang Chen’s body.

“Father, let’s chat after we get out of here. Back then, you told me not to come to the Upper Eight Regions to find you before I improved my cultivation level. Although I was very worried for your safety, I didn’t dare go against your will. Instead, I cultivated hard so that I could reunite with you as soon as possible.”

Jiang Feng smiled brightly. “Good, good. I’m proud of you, my son!”

“Come, let’s get out of here.” Jiang Chen carried his father on his back. His speed was barely impacted by the fact that he was carrying a man roughly fifty kilograms. He planned on avoiding the two pursuers who were chasing after him at first, but soon discovered that the path was completely clear. He only saw the two pursuers with awkward expressions on their faces and even afraid to meet his eyes after he emerged. Jiang Chen was a smart man. He immediately knew that Emperor Peerless had used his martial prowess to “talk to” them.

These cultivators didn’t impress Jiang Chen favorably in the least. They were one of the major reasons who’d made his father this way. Still, the discovery that his father was still alive had dispelled most of his fury.

When the experts of the Ten Ultimates noticed that Jiang Feng was on Jiang Chen’s back and seemingly recovering, they all let out a long sigh of relief. They’d fretted immensely just now that Jiang Feng was either dead or couldn’t be saved. It was highly unlikely they would survive if either one of those cases were true, so they all felt like they’d just narrowly escaped a brush with death.

“How is he, brother?” Emperor Peerless walked forward with concern.

“Thank heavens that he can be saved.” Jiang Chen swept a cold glance at the experts of the Ten Ultimates. “I’m aware that the Sable Cells has its own laws of survival, so I won’t pursue this anymore. Don’t expect me to feel any gratitude towards you lot though. I’m going to take him with me. Does anyone have an opinion to share?”

Everyone knew that this young man was young and weaker than they were, but no one dared to rebuke him. They shook their heads in response.

“Young master Shao, please forgive us for being blind and foolish. You are a great, magnanimous man. Please don’t hold this over our heads.” He Fengui spoke seriously. No one thought that he was an embarrassment for speaking so submissively.

“Yeah, young master Shao. If we knew how great your friend is, we would never have plotted anything in the first place.”

“Ai, it’s all the Moon God Sect’s fault. I can’t believe they just randomly throw people into the Sable Cells without checking their background! What a lawless sect!”

Jiang Chen didn’t like to hear such irresponsible words. He didn’t plan to interact with any of them either. He nodded indifferently. “I’m taking a prisoner with me. What will happen if a Moon God Sect member finds out and asks about him?”

“How many die in the Sable Cells every day?” He Fenghui chuckled. “No one cares if a person suddenly goes missing here. You don’t have to worry at all, young master Shao. No one will ever ask about him.”

“What if someone decides to tattle behind our backs?” Jiang Chen smiled faintly.

He Fenghui swept a ferocious glance across his surroundings. “Who dares be a tattletale?”

“Hell no, who in their right minds would do such a thing? That’s suicide! Plus, almost no one important comes to a place like the Sable Cells. We might not even have the opportunity to do so even if we wanted to.”

“Yeah, yeah! Anyone who snitches will die a horrific death!”

Emperor Peerless smiled leisurely. “You don’t need to worry, brother. Ole He is a smart man. He should know that I can visit the Sable Cells a second time if I want to, so he won’t do such a foolish thing unless he’s made up his mind to become my enemy…”

Emperor Peerless stopped there, but no one missed his underlying meaning. It wasn’t a threat, but it was more intimidating than any verbal threats that exists.

“We wouldn’t dare, not at all…”

“Don’t worry, senior. Our lips are sealed.” The cultivators thumped their chests with assurance. It was obvious that they were extremely wary of Emperor Peerless’ strength and Jiang Chen’s mysterious background. They might be imprisoned in the Sable Cells for now, but it didn’t mean that they were going to rot here for the rest of their lives. Even if this was as far as they went, it was still incredibly unwise to earn the grudge of a great emperor.

Since Captain Gu was around and Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless dressed as Bleakmoon Hall disciples, no one thought them bringing a prisoner out was off. Their short journey out of the Ten Ultimates was smooth and without incident. When they returned to the outskirts of the Sable Cells, they discovered the shrewd man waiting for them at a corner. His eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw that they had actually brought someone out of the Ten Ultimates.

How… how is this possible? Not only did the group look perfectly unharmed, they were even allowed to leave with their target! Just what kind of madmen had Gu Xintang brought to the Sable Cells? Surprise aside, this was good news to the shrewd man. He hurriedly walked forwards. “Congratulations, Captain Gu. I didn’t think that you would actually succeed.”

Gu Xintang nodded. “You’ve been here all this time?”

The shrewd man smiled ruefully. “I wanted to leave but, where could I go? It’d be suicide to go back to my previous area.” After he said this, the shrewd man smiled awkwardly. “So, Captain Gu, it seems that you’ve succeeded in your endeavor… can you fulfill your promise then?”

Gu Xintang waved his hands. “Come, we will leave together. Are there any belongings do you wish to pack?”

The man was overjoyed to hear this. He quickly waved off Gu Xintang’s question. “There’s no need, it’s just a bunch of trash. I can do without them.”

Pack his belongings? Was that a joke? He had nothing of value to pack. Even he had anything, he would be a fool to go back and get them. He had snatched the other prisoners’ windfall and earned the opportunity to escape while they continued to suffer. He had no doubt in his mind that he had become a public enemy. Plus, the Sable Cells was about an unlucky a place as could be, so he had no intentions of bringing anything out with him, even if it was valuable. What kind of ill luck would cling to things you took out of here? He wanted to escape from this forsaken place as soon as possible.When they returned to the main entrance, the captain on duty, Captain Qin, frowned when he saw the two prisoners following Gu Xintang. “Why are there two people behind you, Captain Gu?”

Gu Xintang waved his hands. “They hold some vital clues for an investigation. Help me, Captain QIn, and I’ll return the favor if you run into any trouble in the future.”

Captain Qin wasn’t a fool. After hearing these words, he stopped asking questions, nodded and waved his hands with a yell. “Stand down!”

When they exited the main entrance, Gu Xintang asked, “Senior, young master Shao, are you planning to take your friend back to Frostmoon City for treatment or…?”

Emperor Peerless didn’t have an opinion in this matter. He left the decision in Jiang Chen’s hands. However, Jiang Chen remarked, “Brother Gu, is it possible to settle in somewhere nearby for now?”

Gu Xintang answered quickly, “Let us go to my residence then. We won’t encounter any problems there.”

Now that he’d helped Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless, his next logical action was of course to solidify his connection with the duo. Meanwhile the shrewd man looked a little awkward. He was certain he wouldn’t be able to leave the sect’s domain without someone to help him.

“You’ll come with us too.” Jiang Chen glanced at the shrewd man. “Oh right, what’s your name?”

The shrewd man answered quickly. “My surname is Chu, full name Chu Nan.”

“If you leave now you’ll never be able to walk out of the Moon God Sect’s gates. Why don’t you come with us.” Jiang Chen’s tone made it clear that it wasn’t a question, but an order.

“Of course, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. It would be my honor.” Chu Nan wasn’t lying. Even he had come to the realization by now that these two were extraordinary. How could they be normal if they were capable of bringing a prisoner out of the Ten Ultimates? The opportunity to mingle with these people must be the product of the good karma he cultivated during his past life.

Gu Xintang was at best middle-level management in the Moon God Sect. Therefore, his residence was located slightly farther away from the heart of the sect. Still, it was overall a quiet place suitable for cultivation. His status also earned him a relatively spacious abode. Since Gu Xintang was still single, he lived alone and led a carefree life. It also meant that Jiang Chen’s group didn’t crowd his residence in the slightest.

Emperor Peerless looked around for a bit before smiling, “Little Gu, you are a captain of Bleakmoon Hall, aren’t you? So why are you still single? Why haven’t you found a loving partner who suits you?”

Gu Xintang smiled. “A suitable lover is easy to find, but a marriage after my heart… is not so easy.”

The captain’s smile looked a little rueful. It was obvious he had a sad story that he didn’t wish to speak of.

“Just leave it up to fate. When it is time, you may find yourself love bound before you know it.” Emperor Peerless was renowned for his tale of love. His love story with Madame Yun was famous even among the wandering cultivator community.

After settling his father down to rest, Jiang Chen walked out of the room. “Brother Gu, I may be imposing on you for some time to come. Do you mind?”

“It is no problem at all. I couldn’t invite honorable guests like the senior and young master Shao in the norm, so why on earth would I find you imposing? Please, do as you wish.” It wasn’t false courtesy. Gu Xintang was very happy for Jiang Chen and Emperor Peerless to stay in his residence since it was a good opportunity for him to get closer to them.

“Also, please inform Third Master Jing to treat my companions well,” Jiang Chen added. Long Xiaoxuan and Madame Yun were still at the first division. He naturally couldn’t neglect them.

“Don’t worry, I’ll for arrange things accordingly.” Gu Xintang gave his word.