The mutual acting between two award-winning actors, a group of guardians

Midnight.

The depths of the Dragon Palace remained brightly lit.

Jiang Che had arrived at the altar early with Yu Wan'er and a few others.

Behind them trailed numerous powerful figures who had descended from the Nine Heavens ahead of time—especially the Jiang Family of the Nine Heavens, who had brought nearly all their Divine Transformation realm experts.

"Young Master Jiang, news of your Celestial Physique has spread among many factions in the Nine Heavens. Rumor has it that some forces descending to the mortal realm intend to target you... to take your life..."

Jiang Chusheng approached Jiang Che, his face tense with worry.

While the Jiang Family's influence in the Nine Heavens was vast, hidden arrows were harder to dodge than open spears—especially with Jiang Che currently in the mortal realm.

"No need to panic. I’m just here to pick up my wife—why so tense?"

Jiang Che clapped Jiang Chusheng on the shoulder with a hearty laugh.

Of course, he wasn’t worried. Between the countless trump cards in his system and the life-saving treasures Jiang Hong had painstakingly sent across realms not long ago, he was practically untouchable. The old man had staked his entire fortune on him.

"Young Master, did the Patriarch give you some hidden aces?" another Jiang Family guardian asked excitedly.

They had long since realized: forget about mere "Saint Physique"—Jiang Che was a Celestial Physique!

The future hope of the Jiang Family! For him, these guardians would gladly lay down their lives.

"Do you remember Sword Elder?" Jiang Che suddenly asked.

Jiang Chusheng slapped his thigh. "Right! We almost forgot—you have Sword Elder as your guardian! With a Martial God protecting you, no assassin could even scratch you!"

Jiang Che’s reminder jolted their memories. A Martial God might not be considered overwhelmingly powerful in the Nine Heavens, but in the mortal realm? Absolutely unrivaled.

The strongest among those who had descended this time were, at best, half-step Martial Gods—no match for a true Martial God.

The other factions present remained silent.

Some sought to curry favor with Jiang Che, the Celestial Physique; others were merely spectators; and a few lurked in the shadows, plotting in secret.

[Heh, you really think a Martial God makes you untouchable?]

From the void, a group of black-robed figures sneered.

[Our Immortal-Slaying Alliance’s assassins have descended. Even a Martial God won’t save you from a surprise attack.]

[Such arrogance for an unripe Celestial Physique... Pity we’re not strong enough—I’d love to personally crush such a prodigy.]

Meanwhile, Jiang Che lazily yawned.

These hidden rats couldn’t escape his "Divine Hearing." Did they even understand the weight of a god-tier skill? He could eavesdrop on an Emperor’s thoughts, let alone the whispers of mere ants.

"Elders, Patriarch Jiang Hong did give me some aces... but I’ve got plenty of my own."

"Sword Elder was someone I rescued from a secret realm. He willingly became my guardian—and he’s not the only one."

The atmosphere instantly froze.

"Wait... Jiang Che, what do you mean? Not just him? Have you saved others too?"

Jiang Che chuckled and waved his hand. "Come on out—Sword Elder, Blade Elder, Heaven Elder, Medicine Elder, Shadow Elder, Ghost Elder... and the Eternal Child..."

With a flourish, space rippled as over a dozen figures emerged from the void.

A hunched old man carrying a massive sword case, a burly middle-aged warrior shouldering a ten-meter-long blade, a demonic sect overlord shrouded in billowing black smoke...

Each one radiated an aura that screamed "untouchable powerhouse." These were the kind of figures who, in any xianxia novel, would appear at the climax to save the protagonist—yet here they were, all unveiled at once.

And their power?

The weakest among them was... a Martial God!

A few lurking in the shadows were even more terrifying, their unfathomable strength sending shivers down the spines of those who dared glance their way.

"These... these seniors are...?"

Jaws dropped as the crushing pressure of their collective presence made it hard to breathe.

"Let me introduce them," Jiang Che said casually, each name dropping like a boulder on the crowd’s hearts.

"This is Blade Elder. I stumbled upon him in the Broken Blade Abyss secret realm. Used my Celestial Physique to break the realm’s restrictions and free him. He’s known as the Blade God—peak Martial God realm."

"This is Medicine Elder. A remnant soul entered my ring, taught me alchemy... a mentor and friend. His strength? Half-step Nirvana realm."

"And this one—"

Each introduction escalated the disbelief.

Martial Gods? Even a half-step Nirvana powerhouse?

How was this possible?

How could one person have saved so many legends?

Were the mortal realm’s secret realms just packed with ancient monsters from the dawn of time?!

Even the Jiang Family members from the Nine Heavens began questioning their sanity.

"Lastly... this one’s a funny story. A scattered soul seeking rebirth. I gave her a Soul-Nurturing Pill, and over time, we grew close. Who knew my dear Lianxing was actually a legendary peak Nirvana realm expert?"

Jiang Che smoothly presented Mo Lianxing.

[Darling, your acting is so convincing it’s almost scary~~~] Mo Lianxing teased inwardly, but she played her part, materializing from the Soul-Nurturing Ring.

Clad in white, her sleeves fluttering, she exuded an ethereal grace. Frost lingered at her brows, her cold beauty radiating an unapproachable aura—save for the fleeting warmth in her eyes when she looked at Jiang Che.

The two master actors performed flawlessly.

"This—"

Chaos. Absolute chaos.

What kind of absurd luck was this?!

Rescuing a horde of ancient powerhouses was one thing, but having them serve as bodyguards?

Fine, even that could be swallowed—but a Nirvana realm beauty’s soul falling in love with him?!

What kind of heaven-defying fortune was this?!

While typical protagonists in tales had to claw their way up through trials, this guy... was he even playing the same game?

The observing factions stood dumbfounded. Jiang Che had been hiding this all along?

Meanwhile, the hidden assassins felt their scalps go numb.

[Abort! Abort! Contact the elders in the upper realm—do NOT engage! The mortal realm’s situation has changed drastically!]

At that moment, Mo Lianxing, who had been playfully whispering with Jiang Che, slowly raised her gaze.

"Insects. How dare you disturb us?"

With a mere flick of her wrist, she seized the void itself.

The full might of her Nirvana realm erupted, freezing space and locking everyone in place.

The earlier "elders" had been illusions conjured by Jiang Che’s special effects—but Mo Lianxing?

She was very, very real.

Though she was merely a wisp of divine consciousness, she was undeniably a genuine top-tier Nirvana-stage cultivator. Even wielding only the power of her spirit, she could unleash the might of the Nirvana realm—an overwhelming, crushing force against mere Divine Transformation-stage fledglings.

In the blink of an eye, the assassins lurking in the void were all dragged into the light.

A silence as deep as death fell.