As for the culprit who caused such a massive commotion, he had already slipped back into the Sutra Pavilion. A pot of fine wine accompanied him. Taking a sip inside the pavilion, the rich fragrance spread through the air.
"Good!"
"Excellent!"
A bright smile appeared on Chu Xun's face.
He was in a wonderful mood.
Having mastered the Great River Sword Intent, his strength had increased by several percent.
He didn't dare claim dominance within the Human Emperor Realm, but fighting opponents one or two minor realms above him posed no pressure at all. Even if he encountered someone at the peak of the Human Emperor Realm, while victory might be uncertain, escaping would not be a problem.
Read more.
Reading scriptures was still the proper path.
…
…
While Chu Xun was causing waves without realizing it, Jiang Chen was not idle either.
A cold, handsome look filled his eyes as he said calmly,
"Ye Chen… has finally returned to the sect."
In the eastern region of the Holy Land,
A young man with a slightly dark complexion wore a radiant smile.
"It's been a month. I'm finally back!"
Thinking about how much he had improved during that month, the smile on his face deepened.
He truly wanted to thank his master.
His name was Ye Chen.
Originally, he was a descendant of the Ye family from a small border town.
Once, while gathering herbs in the mountains, he accidentally entered a cave and picked up a shattered jade pendant.
Within that pendant resided the remnant soul of a supreme expert. It was said that in his prime, he had reached the Saint Realm. Unfortunately, only a fragment of his soul remained, incomplete and damaged. Even so, under this master's guidance, Ye Chen's cultivation advanced at a terrifying pace.
In just half a year, he crossed several realms others could barely imagine, gained the ability to fight beyond his level, and easily took first place in his family's competition.
After that, he left proudly.
Traveling far,
He arrived at the Donglin Holy Land.
Some time ago, he even glimpsed Ye Qingcheng, the Holy Maiden of the Eastern Holy Land. Her beauty was breathtaking. Under his master's subtle instigation, Ye Chen gradually developed feelings of destiny toward her.
The only blemish,
He had offended the senior brother of Donglin Sect.
Jiang Chen.
But his master didn't care.
In fact, he believed this was the fastest way to gain fame.
"Judging by the timing, after disappearing for a month, those little guys waiting to serve as my stepping stones must be getting impatient."
A faint smile curved Ye Chen's lips.
He recalled his gains over the past month. Starting from early Dharma Realm, he had reached the peak of the Dharma Realm. With a little more time, breaking into the Prince Realm would be inevitable.
When the sect competition arrived,
He would surely shine.
He might even defeat Jiang Chen under the eyes of everyone.
"Hah…"
Thinking of this, the smile on his lips widened further.
He couldn't help but joke,
"Master, do you think Jiang Chen will be so angry that he comes personally?"
Inside the jade pendant,
An old man shrouded in black mist stared greedily at Ye Chen, his eyes filled with malice. His soul was weakening by the day, on the verge of dissipating. This boy's luck was extraordinary. As Ye Chen continued to grow, the old man had a premonition,
Soon, he would be able to devour Ye Chen's soul and replace him entirely.
Rebirth through possession.
By then,
This boy would have already won first place in the sect competition.
Surrounded by beauties.
Favored by elders.
All that would remain was an empty shell for him to take.
Perfect.
He spoke indifferently,
"What are you compared to Jiang Chen? He is the Holy Son of the Holy Land. Why would he lower himself to care about someone like you?"
The words carried contempt, but they were also true.
When Jiang Chen first entered Donglin Holy Land, he hadn't even reached the Dharma Realm. Any Saint within the sect was at least at the peak of the Prince Realm. The gap was enormous, how could someone like Jiang Chen possibly pay attention to a mere newcomer?
"True."
Ye Chen nodded.
But pride quietly bloomed in his heart.
Jiang Chen looked down on him.
Then during the sect competition,
He would make him understand how terrifying his strength truly was.
"Hmph!"
Suddenly,
The situation changed.
A terrifying pressure swept across the area.
Ye Chen instinctively sensed danger, yet instead of retreating, excitement flashed in his eyes as he stared into the distance.
"Has my stepping stone arrived?"
When he left the sect, he was only in the Dharma Realm.
Now
He stood at the peak of the Dharma Realm.
His true combat power rivaled that of a Prince Realm cultivator.
Cultivation stages were as follows:
Body Refining Realm
Concentrating Spirit Realm
Golden Core Realm
Dharma Realm
Prince Realm
Venerable Realm
Human Emperor Realm
Saint Realm
Quasi-Emperor Realm
Imperial Realm
Each realm was divided into nine levels.
First level the weakest, ninth level the strongest.
"These people probably never imagined that I'd experience such massive breakthroughs in just a few months. Once I make my move, they'll finally understand how strong I am!"
Ye Chen was eager to test himself.
Among the younger generation,
With this level of strength, he was already top-tier within Donglin Sect.
As long as those true monsters didn't interfere
He was king.
Arrogant.
But confident.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye,
A jade-like young man with handsome features crossed the void. His hands rested behind his back as he stood in midair, gazing down coldly at the dark-faced youth below.
Buzz buzz
Ye Chen's mind exploded.
His scalp went numb.
He never expected that the one who came personally would be the senior brother of Donglin Holy Land.
He cursed inwardly:
"Master! Didn't you say someone like him wouldn't bother with a small fry like me?!"
Inside the jade pendant, the black-robed old man was also stunned.
Jiang Chen… came in person?
The corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
What was going on?
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother!"
In an instant, many figures gathered around. They were all disciples of Donglin Sect. Seeing Jiang Chen staring at Ye Chen, their expressions became strange.
Senior Brother targeting Ye Chen?
That felt wrong.
Bullying the weak.
Wasn't that beneath him?
As they whispered among themselves, someone suddenly spoke:
"This isn't strange at all. Everyone knows Senior Brother favors Ye Qingcheng. This newcomer Ye Chen is ignorant and dared to covet Senior Sister Ye. He angered Senior Brother, what's wrong with him acting personally?"
"That's right!"
"I think so too!"
"This is the cultivation world!"
"It's all about strength!"
"If you're not strong enough, why touch someone else's woman? You deserve to be beaten to death!"
Sweat beaded on Ye Chen's forehead.
He waited desperately for his master to act.
"It's fine!"
"Jiang Chen wouldn't dare!"
"There are so many disciples here!"
"I don't believe he'd dare kill you!"
The black-robed old man was also uncertain, but he reassured himself. In his view, young cultivators cared deeply about reputation,
especially a sect's senior brother. How could someone like Jiang Chen shamelessly attack a newcomer?
Boom!
In truth,
Jiang Chen hadn't planned to act at first.
But then,
He recalled the life simulation.
His father's death.
His family's downfall.
Ye Qingcheng following this man.
Face?
Morality?
All of it was cast aside.
Jiang Chen raised his hand.
A massive palm seal condensed in midair with a thunderous roar. Five earth-yellow fingers, veins clearly visible, each as large as a millstone, pressed down. The surrounding space solidified instantly.
The black-robed old man screamed in terror:
"Call Ye Qingcheng!"
"Call Ye Qingcheng!"
"Let her save you!"