"What?"
"What the hell?"
"Those ten can't kill me?"
"Are you serious?"
After learning about the strength of those ten individuals from Chen Chang'an, Lie Zhankuang was completely dumbfounded.
Ten Great Emperors, yet they couldn’t kill him?
Was he really that strong?
In Chen Chang'an’s eyes, was he actually a powerhouse?
At this thought, Lie Zhankuang grinned foolishly.
"You still have the nerve to laugh?"
"You’re a genuine Great Emperor, yet you let ten defective knockoffs chase you around."
"Aren’t you ashamed?" Chen Chang'an said with disdain.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, you broke through to the Great Emperor realm through steady cultivation, while they forcibly elevated their cultivation using shortcuts."
"But there’s a fundamental difference, understand? Their actual combat power is barely above a Half-Step Great Emperor’s—nowhere near a true Great Emperor."
"Even if there are ten of them, they can’t kill you. At best, they’d tie with you."
"Yet here you are, running like a coward without even fighting. Since when did you become so spineless?"
Hearing Chen Chang'an’s words, Lie Zhankuang’s face flushed red. How was he supposed to know they were so weak?
Ten Great Emperors—that’s ten Great Emperors chasing him!
Wouldn’t anyone run? That’s just common sense!
"If that’s the case, then what the hell am I afraid of?"
"The Dragon Emperor Palace is just a bunch of trash!"
"Hahaha, this feels amazing!"
"Long Wuqi, that ugly bastard—I’m gonna curse him out loud and proud!"
"Come at me, you worthless trash! I dare you!"
Lie Zhankuang suddenly felt a surge of triumph. No more holding back!
Long Wuqi’s current status was unclear, and he might not even have reached the Great Emperor realm.
So why should he be afraid?
"What’s wrong?"
"Did I say something wrong?"
Lie Zhankuang noticed Chen Chang'an and the others staring at him like he was an idiot, which made him uncomfortable. What was their problem now?
"Did staying under the Heavenly Pool rot your brain?"
"The Dragon Emperor Palace has existed for centuries. You don’t actually think they have no real powerhouses, do you?"
"This time, those ten only came after you because they misjudged their own strength."
"Otherwise, do you really think you could’ve escaped?"
The Dragon Emperor Palace’s members had misjudged their strength, and Lie Zhankuang had misjudged his own.
The result? A farcical chase—ridiculous, yet undeniably comical.
---
Dragon Emperor Palace
"Vice Palace Master, the ten sent after Lie Zhankuang… they’re all dead!"
"I know."
The Vice Palace Master frowned. He had known those ten couldn’t match a true Great Emperor.
But with ten working together, this outcome shouldn’t have been possible.
Lie Zhankuang’s strength should’ve only allowed a stalemate at best. How did they get wiped out?
Could Lie Zhankuang have had help? Didn’t he cut ties with the Lie Family years ago?
"Has the Palace Master sent any news?" the Vice Palace Master asked sternly.
"No. The Palace Master hasn’t sent any messages."
"The last order was just to spread word of the Dragon Emperor Palace’s return—nothing more."
"How far along is the Palace Master’s plan?"
"He should be in the final stages. If successful, it’ll mark our true resurgence."
"Good."
"Follow the Palace Master’s orders—keep sending people after Lie Zhankuang, but this time, our goal is to make as much noise as possible."
"Where he goes doesn’t matter. The Palace Master will deal with him personally when the time comes."
"Minimize our losses. He likely has powerful allies."
"Yes, Vice Palace Master."
"Who is the Palace Master targeting? Chen Yunxuan? Or Ye Zhiqiu?"
"…Neither, it seems."
Neither?
The Vice Palace Master’s frown deepened. Knowing Long Wuqi, the emergence of Chen Yunxuan and Ye Zhiqiu—those two freaks on the Human Ranking—should’ve drawn his interest.
Yet Long Wuqi wasn’t after either?
"Understood. Dismissed. Notify me immediately if the Palace Master sends word."
"Yes, Vice Palace Master."
The Dragon Emperor Palace dispatched more forces to the Central Heaven Domain, but they didn’t pursue Lie Zhankuang further.
They weren’t worried about him spreading rumors. Compared to the Dragon Emperor Palace’s influence, his words held little weight.
---
Meanwhile, after dealing with the Dragon Emperor Palace’s forces, Chen Chang'an and his group prepared to continue their journey to Alchemy Emperor City.
Suddenly, a streak of golden light shot across the sky, heading straight for Chen Chang'an.
"Hm?"
"Wang Tianji?"
"Wang Tianji? Is he here?"
Hearing Chen Chang'an’s words, Da Huang was puzzled—he hadn’t sensed Wang Tianji’s presence.
"He’s not here. Just a message."
"This is Wang Tianji’s secret technique—a method for urgent communication. And… he only uses it in dire situations."
Wang Tianji had developed this technique himself. On the surface, it seemed useless, with no practical combat application.
But for delivering messages, it was unparalleled in speed.
For Wang Tianji to use it now surprised Chen Chang'an.
What could be so urgent?
The golden light landed in Chen Chang'an’s palm. With a thought, it merged into his mind, revealing its contents.
"What’s wrong?"
"Did something happen? Did Tianji Pavilion get wiped out, and Wang Tianji’s begging for help?" Da Huang joked.
"Not Tianji Pavilion. It’s about Chen Yunxuan."
Chen Yunxuan?
Lie Zhankuang and the others perked up. As the Human Ranking’s top-ranked genius, what could’ve happened to him?
"Wang Tianji’s really going all out—using this technique just for Chen Yunxuan?" Da Huang remarked in surprise.
"Senior Da Huang, what’s the issue with this technique?" Gu Xian'er asked curiously.
"It’s not an issue, but it takes a heavy toll on the body. Wang Tianji wouldn’t use it unless absolutely necessary," Da Huang explained.
"For him to do so over Chen Yunxuan? That’s commitment."
"Brother Chang'an, what happened to Chen Yunxuan?" Gu Fengyao asked, equally curious.
This legendary figure—had something gone wrong?
"He’s stirred up trouble. I might need to step in."
"This kid, telling him to charge forward doesn’t mean he should rush headfirst into everything!"
"He really knows how to make trouble." Chen Chang'an shook his head helplessly.
"What exactly happened?" Da Huang also grew curious.
"Chen Yunxuan got into some conflict with a sect called the Heavenly Sword Sect."
Heavenly Sword Sect?
Hearing this name, everyone frowned slightly—none of them had heard of it before.
"Never heard of it. Probably not a major sect, but if even Wang Tianji is taking it seriously, something’s off." Da Huang found it strange.
"I think... I might have heard a little about this Heavenly Sword Sect."
"Low-key, but incredibly strong."
"Their patriarch is an Emperor!"
"His title—Heavenly Sword Emperor!"
"The sect is named after him."
Heavenly Sword Emperor?
A genuine Sword Emperor?