Chapter 1789: The Silversword Gang
Jiang Chen's seething desire to kill caused a river of blood to flow in the street. The second wave of attackers were decapitated without exception as well.
The bloody scene scared off the onlookers. They fled in terror, worried they would be swept into the slaughter. However, the young man didn't lose his reason and refrained from expanding the scope of his killing to the bystanders. Cutting down those who'd harassed him was enough.
A faint smile hung on his face as he swept his gaze across the crowd. Countless fearful eyes all around involuntarily avoided his.
"You, come here." Jiang Chen beckoned at a young cultivator.
The cultivator in question instantly paled, his teeth chattering.
"Tell me, who are these people?" Jiang Chen turned to consider the corpses.
"T-they… they're f-from the Silversword Gang," the young cultivator stuttered.
The Silversword Gang?
Jiang Chen had never heard of the name before. He knew little of Myriad Abyss' matters; his knowledge was limited to the Ten Divine Nations and some second-rate factions.
The gang ran rampant upon Warmspring Island, but that didn't mean it was important elsewhere. It was a local menace at best. In Myriad Abyss proper, it wasn't even a fifth-rate faction.
"The Silversword Gang belongs to Warmspring Island? How many members does it have? What does it usually do?"
The young cultivator pulled a pained expression. "Please don't make things hard for me, friend. Everyone knows the answers to these questions here on Warmspring, but who dares gossip behind the gang's back? I plead for mercy."
"Oh? You're concerned about Silversword's retaliation?" Jiang Chen frowned.
The cultivator smiled wryly. He was silent, but his meaning was evident. This made Jiang Chen unsure how to respond.
"Get out of here then." He saw no reason to make an innocent's life difficult.
He suddenly produced a pill. "I have a pill here called the Emperor Supremacy Pill. It has a seventy to eighty percent chance of improving a great emperor's level by one. Anyone who provides me information on the Silversword Gang will receive it."
He knew that a hefty reward was more likely to prove a source of courage. There were always people unafraid of death in the world of martial dao.
Moreover, his prize was incredibly enticing. No one had heard of the Emperor Supremacy Pill, but the advertised effect was simply too good to be true. Many great emperors present lit up. They began to consider the pros and cons of taking the bait.
"Friend, is your Emperor Supremacy Pill really that good?" a sallow great emperor asked cautiously.
"If you don't believe me, I can offer another reward," Jiang Chen answered coolly.
"No, no, the pill is fine. You have to guarantee that you haven't over-exaggerated its effects, though."
"I promise you that what I said about it is entirely true. If you're interested, then take a bet. If not, I won't force you."
The cultivator pondered it for a few moments, then grit his teeth. "Come with me, friend."
He'd clearly come to a decision, but was unwilling to complete the transaction in the eyes of the public. He led the way without turning back. Jiang Chen smiled faintly and followed.
It didn't take long for the second cultivator to zigzag around several corners to an out-of-the-way alley and a secluded residence.
"This will do. I think it was abandoned for a while, and barely anyone comes here." The cultivator halted.
Jiang Chen glanced around to ensure nothing was out of place before nodding. "Take the pill. Don't try any tricks."
He tossed the Emperor Supremacy Pill to the cultivator to win his trust.
The cultivator took it in hand and played with it a moment; his eyes burned with desire when he realized how extraordinary it was.
"Don't worry, the pill is real." Jiang Chen smiled.
"Alright. What would you like to know about, friend? I'll tell you everything I know." The cultivator was very pleased with his new pill.
"The Silversword Gang, that's all." Jiang Chen frowned. He felt that it was rather odd they had targeted him in the first place. Was there an ulterior motive?
"The Silversword Gang rose to power in the last hundred years or so here on Warmspring. It's not particularly strong, but it did expand with alarming rapidity. I hear the head of the gang is a seventh level empyrean expert! He has multiple bodyguards who are sixth level empyrean as well. All in all, his gang is probably the strongest faction on this island."
In Eternal Divine Nation's capital, the Silversword Gang would be fourth or fifth-rate at best. On Warmspring Island, it was unrivaled.
"What do they do for business?" Jiang Chen asked again.
"Haha… well, truthfully, the Silversword Gang does a bit of everything. The business it does best at, though, is the criminal kind."
Wariness flickered in the cultivator's eyes. "I'll be frank. After this mutually beneficial exchange, I'm leaving Warmspring Island right away, and I doubt I'll ever return. I advise you to leave soon, friend, otherwise…"
"What kind of criminal business? Please elaborate."
"Robbery, extortion, and slave trade. They pick on lone cultivators specifically. Because of the Silversword Gang, the slave market here on Warmspring is the biggest of all its dozen or so neighbors. The most common mode of operation for the Silversword Gang is to strike up a conversation and pretend to be your friend, then lead you into a dark alley or something. You'll be a lamb to the slaughter at that point."
Jiang Chen fully understood now. The Silversword Gang appropriated both material goods and their owners, making out like well, bandits, after wringing every last drop of value from their marks.
He'd witnessed Veluriyam Capital's slave markets in the past, and had been exceptionally disgusted by the practice even back then. Any lingering shred of remorse for his extreme actions earlier was gone.
The Silversword Gang had lost its humanity. For what reason would he not exterminate such a faction, once he'd encountered it?
The cultivator felt the intensity of Jiang Chen's killing intent. "Friend," he kindly reminded, "if I were you, I would leave Warmspring Island now. But that's enough from me. I've said my piece. Take care!"
"Hold on." Jiang Chen called out to the cultivator.
"What else do you need, friend?" the cultivator stopped as requested, but his eyes anxiously darted toward the outside. He was clearly worried that the Silversword Gang would arrive any minute.
"Where is the gang's headquarters?" Jiang Chen asked.
"You… you're going to their headquarters?" The cultivator was positively ashen. He looked incredulously at Jiang Chen. "Friend, why are you being so rash? The Silversword Gang may not have a rich history or the deepest coffers, but it has plenty of experts. If you're going to their headquarters…"
"Enlighten me. Consider this part of the exchange," Jiang Chen replied evenly.
The cultivator could do little against Jiang Chen's stubbornness. He thought a moment before answering, "Their headquarters is in the Purple Sun District, I believe. Not far from here." Having answered, he left unceremoniously, putting on a mask and a change of clothes before striding off hastily.
Jiang Chen was completely liberated after hearing about the Silversword Gang's misdeeds. The regret at having killed so many had entirely dissipated.
The Silversword Gang!
Though he wasn't a particularly righteous youth, he disliked the Silversword Gang to his core. A gang could do many things to profit in Myriad Abyss. Only completely malevolent factions that reveled in evil would commit the most heinous of crimes in pursuit of wealth. Such depraved acts invited karmic retribution.
"The Silversword Gang has likely done this for years. Xing Hui and Xing Tong, as well as Yong Fan's family… I wonder if the gang targeted them when they came here to Warmspring?"
Even if they had, it had been so long that Jiang Chen doubted an investigation now would yield any clues.
Still, he hoped that misfortune hadn't come to pass. Xing Hui was a prudent man who had enough wisdom to avoid such disaster. As long as Xing Tong's beauty hadn't been discovered, they should have been safe from predation. There had been nothing particularly noteworthy about them otherwise.
Yong Fan's family, on the other hand, would have proven a more desirable targets due to the presence of children.
What could Jiang Chen do but pray, though? He couldn't change the past. Hopefully, they had all stayed safe.
He left the derelict residence. The situation outside was clearly tenser. There was chaos everywhere in the street.
The Silversword Gang's executives had clearly received news that many of its men had been killed in broad daylight. The entire gang boiled over.
Because of this, Warmspring Island was in a state of unease. The Silversword Gang's wolves searched for the man responsible for killing its own.
Many passages in and out of the island were guarded. Those quicker on the draw would've left the island right away. Those not as quick found it significantly harder to do so now.
Jiang Chen didn't know what to say when he saw the ruckus the gang caused. Did Warmspring Island not have an administration? Why was the Silversword Gang being allowed to run amok?
Perhaps the gang had bribed the local authorities. But if it were allowed to scorn the public peace like this, there would be great disaster in the island's near future.
The gang's activities had begun to seriously affect Warmspring's reputation abroad. If everyone thought that the island was a wretched hive of scum and villainy, who would bother coming here in the future?
Chapter 1790: Barging Through the Front Door
The Silversword Gang's headquarters was in the Purple Sun District. Though Jiang Chen had no intention of killing everyone there, his frustrations would be unrelieved if he departed now.
Therefore, he wanted to go to the gang's headquarters to cause them some more trouble. Even if he couldn't eradicate it totally, he wanted to teach the gangsters a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.
The Silversword Gang was the lowest of the low.
It was trivial for someone of his abilities to sneak into the Purple Light District. Actually finding the headquarters in question was much harder–or rather, it would've been in peacetime. Since the gang had received such alarming news just recently, experts streamed out without cease.
That made it impossible to miss.
Jiang Chen quickly locked onto a reasonably hidden manor that served as the gang's hideout. He swept the outside momentarily before deciding to take a blunter approach.
Raising a hand, he produced a magnetic mountain that instantly expanded to its full size. It crashed down on the huge manor in a burst of golden light.
His technique lacked finesse, but was unquestionably effective.
The impact of the mountain created a colossal crater in the middle of the manor. Jiang Chen wasn't done though. He lifted the magnetic mountain and smashed down three more times.
Each blow was fiercer than the last.
When the Silversword Gang reacted, the attacks were already done. Half of the manor had been reduced to rubble. The gang's hideout had been utterly ruined. There were pained shrieks and wails from all over.
Jiang Chen glared down at the gang's headquarters from above, obviously bent on wrecking the place.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A dozen experts flew out from the Silversword Gang's headquarters, all of them uniformly empyrean. From their appearances, they were obviously all quite capable.
"Who is it?"
"Who dares intrude and misbehave on Warmspring Island?"
"Did you do this, kid?!"
"It's him! He killed Zhou Yue and the others!"
"You came to your own demise, kid!"
Jiang Chen considered the experts coldly. After a single sweep, he noted that none were advanced empyrean experts. The strongest was sixth level empyrean, alongside four other mid empyrean experts. The rest were only initial empyrean realm.
He would've been very tense at the encirclement if he were an ordinary fourth level empyrean cultivator. In fact, it would have been severely troublesome for him.
However, Jiang Chen was completely unconcerned with his safety against these opponents. All of them added together wouldn't necessarily be stronger than Xiahou Zong had been.
Though Xiahou Zong had only been fifth level empyrean realm, he'd been better at fighting than even peak sixth level empyrean experts.
After cutting Xiahou Zong down in that fateful battle, Jiang Chen's combat instincts had been perfectly honed. These guys before him presented no threat whatsoever.
"Get your boss to come out." Jiang Chen directed an icy look around the crowd. "You lot are too weak to fight me. If you don't want to die, then get the hell out of the away."
"You're crazy, kid!"
"Come on, everyone. Let's kill him together!"
Clearly, Jiang Chen's arrogance had angered the Silversword executives. The sixth level empyrean cultivator frowned and stopped his overexcited colleagues in their tracks.
He gave Jiang Chen the once-over. "Who are you really, friend? To cause trouble on Warmspring Island… don't you think your methods excessive?"
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Excessive? Am I supposed to let you rob me and make me your slave? I suppose only you guys are allowed to take advantage of others, in your logic." His tone chilled. "Listen up, boss of the Silversword Gang. If you don't come out in ten breaths, I'll make mincemeat of everyone else here."
Killing intent blasted forth from his pores.
"Hold on!" A forceful voice boomed from within the manor. A figure in faded silver swept out into the air like a tornado.
The man who'd come out was an expressionless, middle-aged cultivator. He had a few wisps of beard, but nothing particularly lush. His most unique characteristic was his eyes, which were almost entirely sunken into his eye sockets. His features actually imparted the air of an immortal about him.
"Are you the boss of the Silversword Gang?" Jiang Chen considered the man with some indifference. His cultivation level was quite strong, as was his aura.
"Correct. Your impudence despite knowing our name means that you believe we are below you, yes? Name yourself. Let's see we can afford to offend you." The head of the Silversword Gang was no slouch.
A faction able to take root on a place like Warmspring Island and perpetuate so many evil deeds was a faction to be wary of.
Jiang Chen smiled coolly. "My name? I am the young genius Xiahou Jie, of Eternal Divine Nation's House Xiahou!"
He had completely made that name up out of nowhere. He only knew of three people from House Xiahou: the three geniuses who'd died at his hand, Zong, Jing, and Xi. He hadn't even bothered to memorize the patriarch's name.
House Xiahou?
Hearing the name made the Silversword Gang conflicted. Had they encountered someone they couldn't deal with?
"Proof?" The boss of the gang pressed flatly.
Jiang Chen produced an identity token from House Xiahou with a flourish. He had obtained it after slaying Xiahou Jing and had used it once before too.
Borrowing House Xiahou's name to blacken their name via unsavory acts was a good strategy. It couldn't deliver a lethal blow to House Xiahou, but it could nauseate the house's members.
The Silversword Gang began to believe Jiang Chen's claims after seeing the identification. It was impossible to forge tokens like that. Had the gang really angered someone it shouldn't have?
"Boss, Elder, don't listen to that kid prattle on. You can get a token like that anywhere off the street. He's just bluffing and trying to scare you!" Someone was unsatisfied with the evidence.
Jiang Chen cackled menacingly. His enemy's dissatisfaction was an excuse for him to launch a fresh assault.
A hand seal revealed the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation hidden within the clouds. Countless beams of aureate light burst forth, raining forth death and destruction upon the crowd below.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
There was another wave of ghastly shrieking amid the blades' carnage.
"This isn't good! We fell for his trick!" The gang boss hadn't expected Jiang Chen to be so decisive.
He was furious about the loss of so many subordinates. "Surround him and take him down," he roared. "No matter where he comes from, he needs to pay for killing our brothers! Get him!"
That was much easier said than done, however.
Jiang Chen's magnetic golden mountain and incredible speed meant that the gang's numbers served solely to give him opportunities for counterattack. It was more satisfactory to kill multiple enemies at once.
The boss was in great distress after witnessing the continuing deaths of his men. He gritted his teeth, then charged at Jiang Chen with as much ferocity as he could muster.
"Are you trying to uproot the Silversword Gang, you thief?" it was one of the worst things in the world to see one's own underlings die in front of oneself.
The heads of chives could regrow once cut off; not so with the heads of men. Loyal and competent men especially were a rarity in this day and age. Jiang Chen's identity was no longer in consideration. The boss was half-crazed from what the young man was doing to his assets.
"Kill him! Whoever succeeds will be rewarded with a hundred million sky spirit stones!" The Silversword Gang boss was willing to pay dearly to remove his immediate problem.
Unfortunately, the run-of-the-mill cultivator found it nearly impossible to pose any danger to the one who'd defeated Xiahou Zong.
Even the boss of the Silversword Gang couldn't rival Jiang Chen in terms of speed, despite his seventh level empyrean realm cultivation. He got very close at times, but Jiang Chen was always able to evade with the cleverest of dodges.
Furthermore, the young would use the window to cut down another swathe of men
This method of fighting was almost shameless, but the Silversword Gang was beaten into helpless submission.
The boss of the gang felt his heart bleed when he saw his men dying around him. "You bastard," he roared with red eyes, "the Silversword Gang swears vengeance forevermore!"
A vicious declaration, but one that had minimal effect on Jiang Chen. He wasn't going to stop killing just because of an empty threat.
The gang's lack of resources showed itself here.
A house or sect with some history would've had a protective formation around its headquarters. This wasn't the case for the Silversword Gang, to its unfortunate detriment.
"Enough!" The boss recovered a bit of his reason. He knew that if things were allowed to go on, his elite subordinates would be all cut down.
"Who are you, really? Among House Xiahou's younger generation, even Xiahou Zong would not catch us so unawares." The boss was no fool. He could see the terrifying ability of his opponent after fighting for a while.
It was unrealistic to believe that any old genius from House Xiahou could pull off such a stunt. There had to be something more going on.
If Xiahou Zong were here personally, he would eat the loss. After all, the young genius was famous everywhere – one of the top geniuses in Myriad Abyss.
But according to their sources, Xiahou Zong had died in a tournament of geniuses back in Eternal Divine Nation. The young man purporting to be from House Xiahou was quite suspicious. Was he an ancient thing from House Xiahou, with merely a youthful appearance?
Chapter 1791: Revisiting Hell King Island
Jiang Chen was just getting started. It wasn't near time to stop. Besides, he'd never intended to make peace with the Silversword Gang.
He'd continue his killing streak until he was satisfied, and until the gang wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore. The way their leader had lost his calm told Jiang Chen that the gang was out of ideas on how to fight back.
They weren't as strong as he'd thought.
Seeing no signs that Jiang Chen seemed inclined to stop, the gang continuously retreated, but still suffered great casualties in the face of his enormous speed.
The gang leader gnashed his teeth and called out, "You've been having a great time killing our members. As long as the Silversword Gang stands, you will be our worst enemy. Warmspring Island will not tolerate your deeds!"
Jiang Chen judged it was about time for the Warmspring authorities to arrive. They must know about the gang's actions. Perhaps the two were even in cahoots. Otherwise, the gang couldn't have been allowed to openly commit crimes like this.
All of this would greatly undermine the island's reputation.
As he cut down the gang members, Jiang Chen kept his eyes sharp and his ears keen. Forces were converging from all directions. It was time to retreat.
Suddenly, he whistled and shot through the air with Kunpeng Meteoric Escape, soaring up like a flash of lightning.
"Listen up, Silversword Gang members. This is payback for all the people you've victimized. I'll spare the rest of you, but in the future, if I hear that you've committed atrocities again, I won't hesitate to teach you another lesson. You'll learn how to be honest men after I do this a few more times."
The boss swallowed down the blood rushing up to his throat. The gang had suffered greatly. If Jiang Chen attacked even one or two more times, they were as good as disbanded. They'd already lost half of their senior executives.
"Not so fast, murderer!" The gang leader couldn't just take the abuse. He soared up the sky and pelted after Jiang Chen. "Stay and tell those from the authorities to follow me."
None of the gang members would be of much help. He had to take matters into his own hands. Perhaps only the official authorities could eliminate this murderer.
Jiang Chen didn't blindly rush away at full speed. He maintained a good grasp on direction as he flew at a more deliberate pace. Although he was retreating, he had to do so smartly. It'd be troublesome to be intercepted by experts from Warmspring Island.
He escaped the island's vicinity in no time.
Once he reached the vast ocean, there was no longer anything tying him down. He rushed forward at full throttle and soon shook off his tail.
Nevertheless, he remained cautious. After his killing spree, the gang boss wasn't going to remain idle. The island authorities were unlikely to stand by and do nothing, either. His pursuers would continue to chase after him.
But what was there to be afraid of?
He summoned Starfate and made his way to Bluesmoke Isles at full speed. His destination was Miracle City.
The last time he was there, he'd left a message at an inn. The Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan were to go there and find him once they ended their closed door cultivation.
So many years had passed. He wanted to find out about their situation as well.
He found the inn to inquire after his friends, but no one had come for him. That meant the two divine spirit creatures had yet to end their cultivation.
"Senior Vermilion must really like Hell King Island." Jiang Chen sighed. At least it wasn't far from where he was. Why not pay a visit? He'd missed the two dearly after their long absence.
Not long after Jiang Chen's departure, a group of Warmspring cultivators arrived at Miracle City, one of which was the boss of the Silversword Gang. The other six were all Warmspring's senior executives; their cultivation was a uniform advanced empyrean realm.
One could see from this that the island authorities had been truly angered this time. They'd deployed their highest ranking law-enforcing elders.
"Boss Luo, are you sure you can still track him down?"
"I'm sure," the boss responded with great determination. "I can't stop him from escaping, but I collected some of his aura during our fight, which lets me track him down. He hasn't realized what I'm doing yet. We still have a chance to catch up! He's just left the city after a short stay."
"If so, let us chase him down at once!" declared a white-browed old man. He was the leader of the elders, and his cultivation seemed to be the highest.
The other elders took his words as their command. Even the gang boss deferred to the old man.
They regrouped and followed the gang leader in going after Jiang Chen. They soon left the city and entered the boundless ocean.
Jiang Chen had deliberately slowed down after reaching the ocean. There weren't many threats here. Once he entered the three thousand miles radius of Hell King Island, it would become much more dangerous. Of course, it was easier for him now to deal with anything that cropped up, given the significant progress he'd made in cultivation.
Last time, he'd needed the Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan to help him traverse the ocean. He'd been great emperor then, but was now fourth-level empyrean.
A sudden sense of apprehension crept into his heart. It was a familiar feeling.
"What's going on? Why is there a feeling of danger? Are the bastards from Warmspring still chasing me?" He had sharp instincts. Once he realized the problem, he focused on surveying the area. His findings made him break out in a cold sweat.
His pursuers had not only caught up, but were only a few dozens miles away from him. It'd take an empyrean expert only a few seconds to travel the distance.
Jiang Chen tensed up and cursed under his breath, "Those bastards sure are insistent."
He had no choice but to hurry. It was fortunate that Starfate was capable of amazing speed when needed.
Although the elders from Warmspring were also traveling in airboats, their speed couldn't surpass that of Starfate. The chase continued on over the vast ocean.
"You've picked the wrong direction to flee in, kid! Right ahead of you is the infamous Hell King Island. It's a barren land where no living beings can pass through. That's a dead end. You have no chance of escape!" The gang boss may have yet to catch up to Jiang Chen, but threats were issued in abundance.
The white-browed old man frowned slightly. "Boss Luo, why are you in such a rush? You must be patient in order to eliminate that kid. How are we going to ambush him now that he knows he's approaching Hell King Island? What if he pulls off another cunning escape? Are you sure you'll be able to track him down again?"
He didn't want any accidents now that they'd had Jiang Chen cornered.
The gang leader cackled. "Venerated Elder Lu, there's no need to worry. No living beings can cross Hell King Island. He won't have the opportunity to play any tricks even if he wants to. He's killed many of my men and disrupted our business. I must skin him alive and slice and dice him!"
The gang leader ground his teeth. His hatred for Jiang Chen ran bone-deep.
The old man frowned. "Have you figured out who he is? If he's a scion from one of the top factions in the Ten Divine Nations, it'll do more harm than good for you to make him an enemy. Moreover, you might bring Warmspring down in the process."
He wasn't exaggerating. In a second-tier isle like Bluesmoke, Warmspring Island could only be considered a third-tier faction. They were at most among the fourth or fifth tier factions in the grand scheme of Myriad Abyss.
If they offended a top genius from the Ten Divine Nations and in turn offended a top faction, Warmspring was as good as destroyed. It wouldn't be the first time that such a thing had occured in the history of Myriad Abyss.
There were several examples of geniuses from top factions meeting a premature death by the hands of uninformed local factions as they traveled to gain worldly experience. The top factions would then retaliate and eliminate the local factions.
The top factions were protective of their own. They considered it normal for their geniuses to stir up trouble in other factions' territories. However, if their geniuses were killed, they'd hold the local factions accountable.
For example, when three aristocratic families from Polylore Divine Nation suffered casualties on Winterdraw Island, they blamed Rejuvenation Isles, despite it being their own fault. In the end, they made a mess of Rejuvenation.
Top geniuses from the major factions were to be avoided at all costs.
Chief Luo tightened his jaw. "He can't be from House Xiahou. None of their youths other than Xiahou Zong is that strong, and Xiahou Zong is dead."
"Can he be a top genius from other divine nations?" asked the white-browed old man.
"He doesn't look the part. Besides, if he's a top genius, why is he not followed by guards and servants? No one seemed to recognize him at all."
The Silversword Gang was smart with how they picked their targets. They could tell a genius from a big faction at first glance and would never make a move on them. They'd made sure the young man couldn't be from a powerful faction before targeting him. At the very least, he wasn't a known genius.
Chapter 1792: Crushing the Vermillion Feather
Boss Luo couldn't be blamed for his misjudgement. Jiang Chen didn't dress as extravagantly as the geniuses from major factions. He also didn't act like he wanted the world to know of his superiority.
He looked just like any other wandering cultivator, and he frequented taverns that major faction geniuses considered beneath them.
That was why the Silversword Gang had picked him as their target, seeing him as a cash cow they could freely exploit.
This was their only ever critical mistake that would lead to their downfall.
"Aright, there's no use talking about that now. No matter who he is, we've made him our enemy. There's no turning back." The white-browed old man sighed and waved a hand as he commanded, "Let's keep going."
Boss Luo sighed with relief. His biggest worry was the old man would tell them to give up. The Silversword Gang had suffered a great loss. If the Warmspring authorities weren't going to do anything, he'd never be able to get back at the young man.
"Venerated Elder Lu, I can feel us getting close to him. We'll be able to catch up with him if we hurry."
"We've been increasing our speed, but haven't caught up yet. Is he really capable of reaching such unusual speed?"
"He must have a unique skill set to be so bold as to stir up troubles on Warmspring Island. Perhaps he's plotting against us now! Keep your guard up. He's no easy pickings!"
Chasing someone through the turbulent ocean was dangerous. There were many threats in the water. Jiang Chen had been here before, but that didn't make the trip any safer.
Natural phenomena such as tsunami and spatial storms were several of the many dangers. There were also powerful spirits lurking underwater. He was fortunate to have Starfate as his sanctuary, but the endless threats still slowed him down significantly.
Moreover, Jiang Chen was the one being pursued. Being in the lead, he took the brunt of the dangers. Thanks to him clearing away the obstacles, the path was much clearer for his pursuers.
Jiang Chen moved forward at maximum speed, but still couldn't get rid of his tail. He fumed. Those bastards don't know what's good for them. They're dead set on going against me. Does one of them have the means to track me down? Otherwise, I should've lost them already.
His wealth of experience quickly led him to this conclusion. There were many secret tracking methods in the martial dao world; Jiang Chen knew quite a few himself. What he didn't know was how exactly his pursuers was tracking him.
The best way to render whatever method obsolete was to kill the tracker, completely eliminating the risks. The second best way was to put such a long distance between him and his pursuers that it'd difficult to get a lock on him.
Of course, the second option was no longer viable. There was only one solution: kill his pursuers!
Fury burned through Jiang Chen's heart. A vicious thought took root in his mind.
I've already killed a couple groups from Warmspring. It won't make a difference if I eliminate another! They must be the island's elites. I won't be able to fight them on my own. But I'm close to Hell King Island, heh...
Jiang Chen was glad he'd made the decision to visit the Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan.
Several years had passed since they last saw each other. Senior Vermilion had already completed its rebirth at the beginning. Perhaps it'd even ascended to the next level by now.
The bird had told him its cultivation had been that high in the ancient times. It was at most ninth-level empyrean, but it was able to rival a demigod.
Progressing half a level would place it at half-step divine realm, making it a demigod. If it ascended to the next level, the bird's bloodline would enable it to take on a third-level divine cultivator.
Almost all beings in Myriad Abyss would tremble at its feet.
According to Jiang Chen's knowledge of the Divine Abyss Continent, even the most powerful cultivators from the ancient times had failed to reach peak divine realm. The strongest figureheads had at most reached advanced divine realm, and that was back in the ancient times.
That wasn't surprising. With the limited support from a regular material plane, cultivators wouldn't be able to reach even divine realm, let alone ascend to advanced divine realm.
When a cultivator's strength surpassed the capacity of the plane, the plane would collapse, which was what gave rise to the idea of ascension to heaven.
In some lower rank material plane, those who'd reached divine realm couldn't even stay and would be thrust into a passage to a higher-ranking plane.
It was extraordinary enough for a material plane like the Divine Abyss Continent to accomodate an advanced divine cultivator in the ancient times. Besides, it was pure speculation that cultivators at that level existed at the time. There was no concrete evidence.
But one thing was certain: In the ancient times or even the primordial times, there had been a good number of divine realm masters. Those were the eras in which gods were commonplace.
The war against the demons also became the fall of the gods, the divine realm becoming nothing more than a myth. Even reaching empyrean realm was an improbable task now.
The closer Jiang Chen drew to Hell King Island, the calmer he became. There were a powerful group chasing after him, and they were getting closer. A fatal blow could land on him at anytime.
Fortunately, he was only a few thousand miles out, a distance that would take him only about half an hour. However, his pursuers would be able to catch up by then.
Jiang Chen took out a Vermilion feather and crushed it. The feather became a ball of red light that slowly vanished.
"I hope you aren't so focused on your closed door cultivation that you didn't notice, Senior Vermilion."
The feather had been a parting gift from the divine creature itself. As soon as Jiang Chen crushed it, the bird would be able to locate him, no matter how far away it was, and would come to his aid as soon as possible.
Whether it made it in time would depend on the distance it had to travel, which wasn't that long in this particular case. The bird would be able to reach him in fifteen minutes at full speed.
Jiang Chen threw a glance behind him. A few rays of light flashed through the air at amazing speed, chasing after him.
Help would be here soon. Since these people were so eager to die, they might as well die as supplements for the Vermilion Bird and Brother Long!
The life essence of these advanced empyrean experts would greatly benefit the bird and the dragon. With his mind made up, Jiang Chen deliberately slowed down, which didn't escape his pursuers' notice.
"He's gotten slower," Boss Luo said excitedly. "He's probably run into some problems."
The white-browed old man huffed. "Don't let your guard down, in case this is part of his plan. There must be a reason for him to be so confident as to enter this area. Be careful."
He was very cautious, even though they were all advanced empyrean and could easily defeat the young man. Caution was the key to survival.
The others stayed on their guard, in deference to the old man.
"Listen, young man, you can't escape!" one of the senior executives hollered threateningly. "If you're smart, you'll stop running and have a civil conversation with us. If you insist on being stubborn, the ocean will be your coffin!"
Boss Luo scoffed. "Why waste our time talking to him? Let's take care of him together. There's no convincing this brat."
Jiang Chen's voice rang through the ocean. "You people from Warmspring don't know when to quit. You've chased me all the way here. However, you have to be quick to catch up with me. If you can't, there's nothing you can do to me."
His pursuers hid smiles.
"He doesn't know the ocean ahead of him is too dangerous for him to cross. He still naively thinks that he can get rid of us with his speed!" Boss Luo's smile was twisted. He was even more convinced they'd be able to kill the kid.
But the white-browed old man raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't make sense for him to boldly venture into an area without knowing anything. Can this be a trap?"
He hadn't become the leader of the elders without being better than others in some way. He was at least more cautious and patient than his companions.
Boss Luo piped up, "Venerated Elder Lu, he may be able to play a trick on us on land, but what can he possibly do over the ocean without any support? He can't do anything even if he wants to."
The others agreed with the gang boss. There was nothing for the young man to use against them unless he planned to make a suicide attack. However, they wouldn't be stupid enough to let that happen.
Even if there was danger ahead, he would be the one to die first.
Chapter 1793: Mortal Silken Threads
A bird of fiery crimson roosted upon Hell King Island's hottest volcanic peaks. The figure it cut was as timeless as an ancient totem. Its wings were large enough to blot out the sky. Its plumage was a glistening vermilion that exhibited a dazzling, mirror-like sheen.
The bird was none other than the Vermilion Bird, of course!
After so many years upon Hell King Island, it had finally reached the doorstep of the divine realm. This crucial change had happened half a year ago.
A demigod required fuller intuition of the heavenly dao to attain the first level of godhood. Since its breakthrough, the bird had constantly pursued to make this step as perfectly as possible.
It was no easy task, of course.
Though it was an ancient sacred bird, it sometimes wondered whether it had reached the extent of its own capabilities. It wouldn't accept that prospect. Its blood inheritance should have entitled it to far more. The Vermilion Bird believed that it had plenty more potential to play with.
But how was it supposed to do that?
This was its current top priority. More than anything, it wanted to fully enter into the divine realm within its current lifecycle. Once it did so, its lifespan would stretch to nearly eternity. Aside from the disasters restricted exclusively for the gods, it wouldn't encounter any restrictions caused by mortality.
A cultivator in the divine realm lived as long as heaven and earth. Little could threaten him save for specific disasters related to his condition.
Suddenly, the bird felt a wave of movement in its consciousness. A needle had pricked it there, allowing a nameless energy to flow in.
"Hmm?" The Vermilion Bird was shaken by what it sensed. "Young master Chen?" it blurted out.
The bird had given its feather to only one man – Jiang Chen. The reaction it was having right now was due to that feather having burned up in flames of destruction.
"This isn't good. Is young master Chen in danger?"
It had always been on good terms with human cultivators, and its bond with Jiang Chen was especially strong. The young man could be counted as one of its saviors, after all.
It was an incredibly loyal fowl. It felt that its rebirth had almost entirely been thanks to Jiang Chen. Thus, it long considered him a member of its family. The feedback from the crumbling of the Vermilion Feather naturally shocked it.
It could no longer remain focused on its cultivation and comprehension of dao. Within several wingbeats, it soared out of the endless volcanoes in a curtain of flame that colored the sky a sea of red.
The presence of the Vermilion Bird had caused life from the seas hundreds of miles around to clear out. Therefore, the surrounding waters were reasonably calm despite its ruckus.
"Xiaoxuan, Xiaoxuan…" Its low wails were tinged with urgency.
Long Xiaoxuan was cultivating in the nearby seas. Self-improvement had allowed the dragon to expand his influence over water. Whereas before he could manage only a few dozen, he now affected the seas hundreds of miles around.
Hearing the Vermilion Bird's cries, Long Xiaoxuan crashed out of the water with a geyser of water. "Old brother Vermilion, what is it?"
Though the bird was from the ancient era and supposedly from an older generation, the sacred beasts weren't particularly interested in seniority when it came to their relationship. Thus, Long Xiaoxuan and the Vermilion Bird treated each other as equals.
"Come, Xiaoxuan."
"Where are we going?" Long Xiaoxuan had never seen the Vermilion Bird so anxious before. Something was wrong.
"Young master Chen is in trouble. He just crumbled the feather I gave him," the bird declared hoarsely.
"What? Why didn't he destroy my scale too?" the dragon responded with shock.
"He knows we're together. One is enough. Why waste the other?"
Long Xiaoxuan hesitated, then nodded in agreement. "Then we should get going right away. Do you know where young master Chen is right now, old brother? How far is he away from here?"
"I can't tell precisely the distance, but he should be around…" The Vermilion Bird used its consciousness to gauge the region of reaction, then blinked. "He's quite close. On these waters, in fact. Yes, yes, he must have pursuers on his tail! That's why he fled here!"
"How close is quite close? Will we make it in time?" Long Xiaoxuan was even more distressed than the bird. He had weathered many a troubling time with Jiang Chen and considered the young man his only family. His devotion to the human was absolutely whole-hearted.
"Within three or four thousand miles. Young master Chen must've drawn quite the trouble to himself this time." The Vermilion Bird was just as worried as the dragon. Neither beast nor fowl wanted their human companion to perish.
It was difficult for ancient sacred beasts to survive in the world nowadays. A human friend allowed them to have a much easier time of it. Moreover, Jiang Chen had been genuinely nice to them.
All sacred beasts were grateful for services rendered.
The Vermilion Bird pushed itself to maximum speed, while Long Xiaoxuan swam at equivalent pace in the sea below.
...
Jiang Chen's Starfate was less than three thousand miles from Hell King Island. The currents rushed strongly here, and the wind and clouds were stirred into chaos. A group of people had cut him off.
They scattered, putting his airboat in the center of their encirclement.
"Keep running, kid! Why aren't you running anymore? You looked like you had real guts and speed escaping from us like that!"
Boss Luo was furious. He spat out taunt after taunt in an attempt to rile Jiang Chen up.
The white-haired old man was still somewhat concerned. "You have no way out, sir," he declared. "Either you tell us your identity now, or we kill you and investigate after."
The boss wasn't particularly fond of the former. He wanted more than anything to cut Jiang Chen down without anyone else knowing.
"You have no right to ask my identity," Jiang Chen smiled coolly. "Most of you don't look like you're from the Silversword Gang. Why are you lending your power to evil?"
His eyes scanned Warmspring's executives coldly. In that moment, they felt it difficult to meet his gaze.
"The Silversword Gang has done everything bad under the sun. Rather than stopping them, you aid and abet them. It seems that Warmspring Island is just as bad as the gang."
"Big words, kid!"
"Venerable elder, why waste time on the kid? He has a vicious tongue. We don't need to make ourselves upset by listening to him."
"Yes. He deserves a beating. Let's take him down first."
The white-haired old man sighed. "Someone who has too many edges dies an early death, young man. Listen to my advice and surrender. You can choose a relatively honorable death then. If you anger me, we will seek out and rout your family and friends as well!"
Jiang Chen glinted with cold scorn. "So Warmspring defies justice to the bitter end then!"
In the next moment, an eerie smile crept over his face. "I suppose that's fine. I was hesitating earlier whether to kill you lot, but it seems that all of you deserve it utterly!"
"Kill us?" One of the executives brayed with exaggerated laughter. "Are you daydreaming, kid? You're a stray dog on the brink of your own death, yet you're still talking as if we're the ones in trouble?"
Jiang Chen grinned from ear to ear. He licked his lips as bloodthirst rose. His eyes swept across the faces of those before him icily.
"Get him!" the white-haired old man bellowed a call to attack; several empyrean realm experts struck in unison.
The fighting of empyrean cultivators was different from their weaker peers. Rather than cause a lot of unnecessary commotion, they used only their deadliest methods.
Empyrean abilities sealed the sky. Each man took a corner, blocking Jiang Chen from every vector of escape. There was nowhere left to hide or flee.
Furthermore, the cultivators' expertise was evident in their coordination. Clearly, they were used to fighting alongside each other. Every motion was perfectly practiced and rehearsed, as if they'd had countless bouts.
Jiang Chen didn't dare take them lightly. He knew that he wasn't facing down just any old group of cultivators. Executives of Warmspring Island were both martially capable and well-trained. Without something he could rely on, he would find it nearly impossible to escape. Once trapped, he could only resist until he was fatigued or slain.
The Silversword Gang's Boss Luo seemed rather out of place here. "I thought you were good at killing, kid?" he sneered. "Why don't you do a repeat performance?"
"Resign yourself to your fate!" Seeing that his companions had set up their tactical formation, the white-haired old man beckoned to the gang boss. "Boss Luo, are you going to help us in the attack? Or ready yourself at the side?"
"Help you attack, of course." Depravity was written all over the boss's face. "He killed so many of my guys. How can I let him die so easily?"
"With us, then!" the old man stated before producing a fly-whisk. He swept an innumerable cascade of white threads toward Jiang Chen.
The young man realized what the attack was as soon as it was executed. "Mortal Silken Threads?!" he cried out involuntarily.
Chapter 1794: Moment of Life and Death
Jiang Chen knew the Mortal Silken Threads very well. They were a rare but deadly material feared not for their physical properties, but for their ability to attack a cultivator's soul as well. Once the threads latched on, they changed color very quickly. A deep red meant that their victim had both his flesh and soul drained away.
More concerningly, they could attack others from afar. Even nine to fifteen meters of space weren't enough to mitigate their effects, though the distance did dampen their influence somewhat.
The closer they were to their prey, the more powerful they were. However, a slow and methodical assault from afar was also useful to lull the opponent into a false sense of security. By the time they realized, it was often too late.
Thankfully, Jiang Chen had seen them in the past and knew how dangerous they were. He summoned an absurd amount of magnetic force all around him without hesitation. The surging waves blocked the threads' brisk aggression.
He charged ahead as a streak of light.
"Where are you trying to go, kid?"
The barricade around him was airtight. Each corner and pathway was meticulously manned.
The one who stood in his way carried a lotus-flower hammer. Jiang Chen was blasted by countless streams of petal-shaped air currents, preventing him from proceeding.
Though this cultivator wasn't as strong as the white-haired old man, he wasn't too far off. Jiang Chen wasn't certain of winning one-on-one, much less breaking through the defenses in a crucial moment.
"Out of my way!" Jiang Chen roared angrily.
He aimed a fierce shot at the cultivator without warning. The other didn't expect an attack at such close range with minimal preparations; the arrow had appeared almost magically upon the string.
He hastily raised his hammer to block the missile, and Jiang Chen used the momentum to attempt to dash past.
"Where're you going now, kid?" A sinister voice echoed from the side.
It was none other than Boss Luo. He had said he would assist in the initial attack, but was actually waiting in the wings. He'd been waiting to land that crucial strike and now his opportunity had come!
His own flash of light heralded a two-handed sweeping cut that pointed horizontally at Jiang Chen's abdomen. It was so sudden and brutal that it could cut through space.
Jiang Chen was astonished. If he were hit by the attack, even his tempered body wouldn't save him from severe injury. In fact, it was quite possible he would be cut in half.
Without much thought as to the consequences, he summoned a Confounding Puppet to deter the slash. He himself leaped higher into the heavens.
Clang!
There was a harsh screech of metal on metal. The force behind the slash had been terrifying indeed.
Though the Confounding Puppet was quite sturdy, its arms were nevertheless sliced off by the blow. Thankfully, there was no blood – owing to the fact that the puppet was a mere construct.
Jiang Chen seethed when he saw the damage the puppet had suffered. The Confounding Puppets had been with him for a long time. He considered any damage to them as damage to his own siblings. How could he not be furious?
"I swear vengeance on Warmspring Island as long as I live!" The young man howled in anger.
Boss Luo was a little discouraged by the puppet's interception of the lethal attack, but his expression quickly turned into a malicious grin once more.
"You think you still have a chance, kid? Lay down and die!"
Everyone could see that though the kid was capable, he couldn't last much longer under their collective encirclement. It would only take a few more moments for them to get the kill.
The white-haired old man harrumphed softly. "Don't be too eager for the prize. Keep to your own responsibility. Be careful not to give the kid an opening!"
The old man was concerned that a hole would occur in their formation. That meant an opportunity for their quarry to escape – not exactly something he wanted to see.
Though he had been attacked only a handful of times, Jiang Chen was in a real bind. He had never been so on the back foot in his entire life. Any attack from his assailants could be lethal at any time.
All six cultivators here could threaten him. One or two wouldn't be enough to kill him, but it wouldn't be difficult for them to take him down in tandem.
"I have to hold on." Despite his passiveness, he wasn't panicked. He had trump cards he'd still yet to play. Even if the Vermilion Bird and his draconic friend couldn't get here in time, he could depart with his spacetime seal at any time.
The cultivators before him were clearly committed to slaying him; obviously he wasn't going to let them do as they wished.
"Myriad Abyss lives up to its reputation. Even a place as small as Warmspring Island has many elite experts." At the same time, Jiang Chen could admit that he had underestimated his enemy.
He had thought a place as minor as Warmspring Island capable of housing two to three empyrean experts at most. It was frankly remarkable that the island had been able to mobilize as many as it had.
He wasn't going to give up anytime soon though, and wouldn't activate his spacetime seal until the very last.
"Stop struggling, kid. You don't have another chance."
"Forcing us to do all we've done… you can consider yourself skilled."
"Now, you can die!"
The white-haired old man's Mortal Silken Threads filled the sky once more, cast upon Jiang Chen like a great net. This attack was several times more threatening than his last. It seemed that the old man was giving it all he had.
However, Jiang Chen had a definite plan to counter it. Tendrils from his Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice formed a dual attribute defense all around him. At the same time, he transformed into escaping light once more.
He wanted to use his Lotus' illusory abilities to trick his opponents. Unfortunately, the white-haired old man had an exceptionally sharp eye.
"A decoy this time?" he harrumphed. His fly-whisk shook, throwing innumerable deadly threads in Jiang Chen's direction.
Jiang Chen cursed the sly old fox. His heart grew heavy. Would he really need to use his spacetime seal?
It was at this time that a crisp bird call sounded at his ear. The sound was more beautiful to him than any music could possibly be in the world.
Chirp, chirp!
In the next instant, waves of fire burned across the skies. It descended to meet the Mortal Silken Threads that threatened Jiang Chen.
The white-haired old man smirked. He didn't care much about counterattacks of this kind.
"Ridiculous. Normal fire won't work against my threads." Indeed, the Mortal Silken Threads were a remarkable material. Standard attacks of any kind failed to damage it in any capacity.
Alas, his smile barely had time to spread before his expression froze. Incredulity bulged from his eyes. His heart skipped a painful beat.
Not good!
His Mortal Silken Threads, his pride and joy, was being burned by the fiery curtain and disintegrating into ashes at an incredibly rapid pace. The fire touched the handle in almost the next instant.
How could this be?
The white-haired old man felt his blood run cold. Not content with just the threads, the fire was attempting to consume his body as well!
Terrified, he rolled backward in a mad dash to retreat. He was filled with a fear for the unknown.
Jiang Chen was overjoyed. He knew that the Vermilion Bird had finally come.
"Young master Chen, is that you?" The divine creature's voice sounded in the air.
"Hahaha, you're finally here. If you'd taken much longer, you'd no longer be able to see me," Jiang Chen responded in ancient beast language.
The six cultivators from Warmspring Island looked listlessly among themselves, unsure of what the young man was saying. They didn't know why, but a cloying aura seemed to hang upon their hearts, giving them an apocalyptic pressure that they couldn't relieve.
The white-haired old man backed off several hundred yards before halting in a daze. His eyes glittered as he glanced into the sky, his dread unabated.
"What is it, venerated elder Lu?" Boss Luo sidled over, his eyes burning with rage. Clearly, he was agitated at not having killed Jiang Chen in the prior effort.
"Be careful, everyone. The kid has a helper!" Though the old man didn't understand the ancient beast language, the strange voice that had sounded was real enough.
"Hmph, so the kid had a backup plan? Not bad. What are we six scared of though? We'll just take all of his helpers down too." Boss Luo's sinister declaration lacked the old man's wariness.
Jiang Chen became very relaxed after reuniting with his bestial friends. The Vermilion Bird had finished its rebirth several years ago. After baptism in flame over all these years, it must have recovered to its original peak!
Chapter 1795: The Situation Completely Turns Around
The Vermilion Bird's speed was frightfully astonishing. It'd arrived at the scene of the battle in the blink of an eye.
The group looked up at the sky with brows furrowed. The clouds looked as if they had caught fire, the flames spreading until the entire sky was set ablaze.
"What is that?" exclaimed one of the elders.
The white-browed elder's expression turned severe. "Be careful. A formidable foe is coming."
Even someone as ferocious as Boss Luo was paralyzed by the terrifying phenomenon. The killing intent in his eyes gave way to horror.
An endless sea of fire roiled and invaded their space. Out came a divine spirit with expanded wings that obscured the sun. Its graceful form stood out from the flame like a blooming lotus.
The Vermilion Bird had come to the rescue!
Its shriek reached the dome of the sky and stirred both heaven and earth. Winds gathered from all directions and the ocean raged. The world trembled!
Jiang Chen was thrilled to witness its tremendous might. The bird had recovered to the level it'd been in the ancient times and even exceeded its peak, a stark contrast to its sickly self when they'd first met.
"Congratulations, Senior Vermilion! You've had tremendous progress during the years on Hell King Island. This is cause for celebration." Jiang Chen's delight was clear in his voice. He was genuinely happy for the Vermilion Bird.
The bird laughed. "I've only made a little breakthrough. You'll know what I mean when you see Xiaoxuan. Now that's what you call progress!"
Brother Long?
Among the raging ocean and rolling clouds came a staccato of six soaring columns of water threatening the sky. They combined into a waterspout that shot through the air and fired right at the group of seven, catching them off guard despite their extraordinary skills.
Fortunately, their cultivation enabled them to defend, albeit with some difficulty, instead of being caught by the vortex. Still, the shock alone was enough to debilitate them. What was going on?
A column of water suddenly rose through the air with tremendous force, on top of which was a coiled true dragon.
A true dragon!
The seven men could barely believe their eyes. Was it really a true dragon?!
Brother Long!
Jiang Chen was ecstatic to see the dragon's demonstration of power. He'd improved as much as the human had, if not more. The dragon must have reached fourth level or even fifth level empyrean.
Otherwise, not even the descendent of true dragons would be able to almost decapacitate seven advanced empyrean experts with an attack. The dragon now rivaled an advanced empyrean expert!
The elders and Boss Luo widened their eyes in disbelief. Who would've thought a true dragon resided in this ocean? The spirit hovering in the sky was even more terrifying. It seemed to be the mythical Vermilion Bird!
Oh heavens!
Who the hell was this young man and how had he acquired such helpers? The true dragon and Vermilion Bird were descendents of the Four Divine Beasts from the ancient times! The elders and Boss Luo weren't among the top cultivators in Myriad Abyss, but they were experienced enough to know of the divine beasts.
"Venerated Elder Lu, are they… the Four Divine Beasts of legend?"
"I can't say." The white-browed old man had completely lost his calm. Fear had crushed his heart in a tight grip since the destruction of his silk. He struggled to even make a sound.
"Watch out," he reminded in a low voice once he'd finally recovered from his fear. "We can't defeat them. We'll split up and run."
Boss Luo couldn't accept that. "Venerated Elder Lu, there's nothing for us to fear if we stick together! So they're of the divine beasts' bloodline. Big deal! As long as they aren't at their peak, we stand a chance of winning by fighting as a team!"
A chance?
The white-browed old man scoffed mockingly. "Boss Luo, your Silversword Gang is going to be the death of us. My silk was supposed to be indestructible against fire or water, yet it was easily consumed by the bird's fire. Even if the Vermilion Bird isn't at its peak, it's not a foe we can rival."
"What?"
"We can't win!" the old man rushed out. "Face reality and run!"
Jiang Chen had arrived at the Vermilion Bird's side. It nuzzled Jiang Chen with its head. They'd both missed each other after the long absence. "Who are these people, young master Chen?"
"A group of insistent bastards who used their number against me," Jiang Chen spat. "Senior Vermilion, I need your help this time. Show them what you've got." He deliberately switched to human language. "They're irredeemable villains that deserve to die. Send them all to hell."
The bird grinned. "That'd be a waste. They're all advanced empyrean cultivators. They'll make great supplements."
It was speaking in the language of the ancient beasts, so the elders and the gang leader didn't understand it. But its disturbing expression was enough to send a shudder down their spines.
"Please listen to me, my friend." The white-browed old man knew when to back down. "There must be a misunderstanding. Please... "
"Misunderstanding? You chased after me for hundreds of thousands of miles. You had plenty of time to realize your mistake. Why didn't you see there was a misunderstanding when you were chasing me, or when you were trying to kill me?"
The old man froze and smiled ruefully. "We were cheated by this man, my friend. There's no reason for Warmspring Island to take the fall for the Silversword Gang. Don't worry. We'll do what's right this time. You can decide what to do with the gang leader. We'll destroy the gang once we return to the island. There will be no Silversword Gang from then on!"
Boss Luo scowled. "Venerated Elder Lu, you... "
"Shut up. Your gang has committed a myriad of crimes. I've long warned you to behave and stop stirring up trouble. You bit off more than you can chew this time! As the law-enforcing elder of Warmspring, I won't let you run rampant on the island no more."
The old man changed his tune at the drop of a hat. More surprisingly, his subordinates had circled the gang leader without missing a beat, clearly intending to apprehend the gang leader.
"Just wait for a moment," the old man said respectfully. "Warmspring will play by the rules and arrest this man. The rest is up to you."
It took some time for Jiang Chen to recover from his surprise. He'd seen his fair share of shameless men and hadn't expected the respectful looking old man to take the cake. Still, he wasn't going to be deceived.
He scoffed. "If you'd done this back in Warmspring, I may have forgiven you. However, after pursuing me for such a great distance, don't you think you've changed your story too suddenly to be believable?"
The white-browed old man's heart sank. His move had obviously failed. He dropped down to his knees immediately and begged, "This old man is Lu Che. I'm deeply regretful for rousing your fury. Please give me another chance. I'm willing to surrender and serve as your slave."
"Oh?" Never had Jiang Chen foresee that the old man would surrender so readily after realizing the futility of resistance. His gaze swept through every one of his foes, his eyes glinting in deep thought. The show of submission swayed him somewhat. He turned to the bird. "What do you think, Senior Vermilion?"
"Whatever you say." The bird nodded.
"Brother Long?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
The dragon huffed. "Even Brother Vermilion said it'd listen to you. What else can I say?"
Long Xiaoxuan was still his prideful self after all these years.
Jiang Chen broke into laughter and said bemusedly, "You're smart to cut your losses, Lu Che. However, people like you will betray me just as easily. How do I know I can trust you?"
"I'm willing to do anything to gain your trust!"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "There is something. I can brand you with my consciousness and make you my slaves, which will allow me to control you utterly. What say you?"
Lu Che exchanged a glance with his companions. They were a little hesitant.
Boss Luo laughed maniacally. "You've disappointed me, Lu Che. I didn't know you were such a coward! I'm not going to play this game with you!"
He knew he wouldn't be spared after surrendering even if Lu Chen and the other elders were. The Silversword Gang was the one that'd started everything. Someone had to take the fall. The young man might take the elders in as slaves, but he was bound to kill the boss.
The gang leader flew away in a flash of light. He was smart enough to recognize that he couldn't turn things around, and so the best option was to flee.
Jiang Chen looked at him calmly, unfazed by his attempt to flee.
The Vermilion Bird smiled derisively and flapped its wings. Feathers turned into sharp blades and inflicted powerful slashes at the gang leader. The destructive hit caught up with him and blocked his escape route, forcing him to come back.
Chapter 1796: Willing to be a Slave
Boss Luo widened his eyes at the blades of Vermilion feathers blocking all of his escape routes. The slashes were too powerful for him to defend head-on. Even brief contact would likely kill him several times over.
Lu Che and the other elders had considered taking advantage of the chaos and running away, but they gave up on that when they saw the gang leader trapped by the blades. It suddenly dawned on them that the Vermilion Bird was far more powerful than they were, and could vanquish them as easily as swatting a fly.
Lu Che realized that the bird must've been the one that'd destroyed his Mortal Silken Thread.
Those from Warmspring had gone as pale as a sheet. Boss Luo cried out in witless horror, "Lu Che, you're acting like this is none of your business, but it's your turn after I die! If we fight together, some of us may be able to escape!"
He was still holding on the hope of dragging others down with him. However, the Warmspring authorities had lost their will to fight. They weren't going to let the gang leader coax them into changing their mind.
They were no fools. Boss Luo was as good as dead. They'd get themselves killed for nothing if they tried to help. Besides, the gang leader had been the one to offend the young man. Perhaps they would stand a better chance of being spared after his death.
"Leave him to me, Xiaoxuan!" The Vermilion Bird whipped through the air with its mouth wide open, leaving a trace of red glow in its wake. Boss Luo lost control of his body and was caught by a vortex of air.
The bird took in a deep breath and devoured the human alive.
The macabre scene instilled fear into the elders. Petrified, they watched in horror.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
The five of them reflexively dropped to their knees. They knew better than anyone how futile it'd be to resist such overwhelming power. Begging for mercy was the only way to survive.
Jiang Chen's gaze swept over the remaining five until it settled on Lu Che. "Warmspring Island is decently well-known in the area, but not particularly powerful. Tell me, why are there so many advanced empyrean cultivators there?"
He'd been wondering about that for a while.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything! Warmspring is different from the other islands. It's a prosperous port that's a trading hub for the surrounding regions. Most trades, especially those of the clandestine nature, are conducted on the island. We were outsiders recruited into the Hall of Law Enforcement by the island lord, rather than locals born and raised on the island." Lu Che didn't leave any details out.
"Hmph, it doesn't make sense for Warmspring to be this bold with illicit deeds even if you have the strength to back yourselves up. Aren't you afraid of offending geniuses from the Ten Divine Nation and having the island meet its demise?"
Lu Che smiled wryly. "You may be surprised to find out that Warmspring is also supported by the Ten Divine Nations. As mere subordinates, we don't know for sure which divine nation the island lord comes from, but we suspect he has the support of more than one nation."
Jiang Chen found that difficult to believe. "What? Who would go to such lengths for an island like Warmspring?"
"That's the way it is according to my observations," Lu Che spilled everything he knew. "The Silversword Gang is a money-making tool for the lord, which is why Boss Luo was bold enough to openly defy us. He has the lord of Warmspring backing him up."
The interconnected web of the island's politics was finally made clear.
Jiang Chen scoffed. "As I expected, the gang has a backer for them to be so bold. What a surprise for it to be the lord of Warmspring."
However, he didn't intend to intervene. He'd killed a good number of Silversword's members and mollified his anger. As long as Warmspring didn't bother him again, he didn't have the time to deal with the island.
He stared at the elders, his lips twisted into an odd smile. "So should I kill you all, or give you a chance to live?"
"Please give us a chance," Lu Che rushed out. "We can tell that you're not an ordinary character. We're willing to follow you and serve you. We won't resist even if you brand us with your consciousness!"
Lu Che and his companions had all started out as wandering cultivators. They joined Warmsping simply in pursuit of wealth and power. Wandering cultivators of humble backgrounds like them knew when to make compromises and prioritized their survival. Thus, they would always choose to live, even if it would be a humiliating life.
It was difficult for them to reach their level as wandering cultivators. None of them were willing to die just like this. Dying for Warmspring, especially, would be a worthless death.
Jiang Chen nodded. "If so, I'll give you a chance to live."
Lu Che and his companions were delighted and quickly bowed down to Jiang Chen. "This subordinate meets our master. Thank you, master, for letting us live."
They painted a pitiful picture. It was unbecoming for a group of advanced empyrean experts to discard their dignity in such manner. However, the martial dao world was just this cruel. One had to fawn over others to survive.
Besides, Lu Che and the other elders didn't find their submission humiliating. They didn't know who Jiang Chen was, but he had to be somebody, as he could easily command a true dragon and Vermilion Bird.
Someone like him had better prospects than the lord of Warmspring.
The Vermilion Bird alone would be able to kill the island lord. There was no way the lord could win.
On the other hand, while the true dragon hadn't seemed to have reached its full potential yet, everyone knew how powerful a true dragon bloodline was. It would be terrifyingly strong once it matured. Not even a Vermilion Bird at its peak would necessarily be able to defeat it.
The thought sent a shudder down their spines. The bird and the dragon were terrifying enough. Who exactly was this human cultivator? What powerful factions were behind him? They didn't dare even think about the possibilities.
They shuddered to think what could have happened. It was fortunate that they'd smartly decided to submit. If they'd fought back, they'd have been devoured like Boss Luo.
Jiang Chen was familiar with consciousness branding.
"Relax your minds and don't try to resist," he warned coldly. "If I find any resistance in the process, I'll assume you don't mean to surrender. Then you only have yourself to blame when you get devoured like Luo."
The brand wouldn't disappear unless the master voluntarily revoked it. When the master died, the brand would act up and destroy the servants' consciousness as well.
Essentially, the brand tied the servants' fate with their master. The only way to be free of it was for the master to deem the servants trustworthy and erase the brands. Otherwise, their survival was completely dependent on their master's mercy.
The brands were a great risk, but they didn't have a choice. Their minds relaxed completely like low-hanging fruit waiting to be picked.
Jiang Chen's consciousness wasn't any worse than theirs, if not better. After all, with the chain seal still in his mind, the constant supply of power greatly fueled his consciousness. He could rival a ninth-level empyrean expert.
Pfft pfft pfft pfft pfft!
One after another, brands descended on their consciousness, leaving a deep imprint. The five of them were shocked by the tremendous power radiating from the marks, which dominated over their consciousness. In other words, their master's consciousness was even more powerful than theirs.
They couldn't believe it!
In the earlier fight, they'd concluded that while the young man's cultivation was decent, he hadn't yet reached advanced empyrean. He was strong, but couldn't take a concerted attack from them.
However, it turned out that his consciousness was much greater than theirs. How could someone so young reach such heights?
They were both fearful and impressed.
They'd been reluctant to be branded, but there was no resisting such a mighty master. The young man was a formidable foe. He may not be stronger than they were at the moment, but someone his age would surpass them in no time at all.
Given the trajectory of his progress, it was possible that he'd one day break through his limits and ascend to godhood. As his servants, they would greatly benefit from his ascension.
There were only a handful of cultivators in Myriad Abyss who'd been said or proven to be divine realm masters. Many empyrean experts would kill for a chance to serve a god as slaves and receive a divine's guidance.
Being a servant of a god was the greatest ambition and honor for many empyrean cultivators. A god's guidance was the only way for them to overcome the bottleneck in their pursuit of martial dao and reach greater heights.
Who would've thought they'd be given the opportunity? Their despair soon gave way to pleasant surprise.