Chapter 18: The Storm Begins
The night sky over Ironhollow was drenched in silver moonlight, the quiet hum of the city barely masking the unease left behind by Jiang Chen's battle. In the alleys, in the taverns, in the sect halls—his name was already spreading like wildfire.
Jiang Chen.The one who crushed Crimson Blade disciples as if they were nothing.The one who walked alone, defying every faction.
And the one whose existence was still a mystery.
Jiang Chen moved swiftly through the dark streets, his spear strapped to his back, his golden eyes gleaming beneath the hood he now wore.
He needed information.
He had always fought to survive, but now, for the first time, he had a real goal.
Find the origins of the Chaos Seed.
Why had it chosen him?What was its true purpose?And who else knew of it?
But first—he needed to ensure he lived long enough to get those answers.
Because the Crimson Blade Sect was going to retaliate.
He could feel it in his bones.
The humiliation he had dealt them wasn't something they would let slide. This wasn't just a simple grudge anymore—it was about their reputation.
They had lost face twice now, and the only way to reclaim it was with his blood.
Jiang Chen exhaled.
"Tch. What a hassle."
He had to prepare.
He approached a dimly lit teahouse tucked away in one of the quieter corners of Ironhollow.
This wasn't an ordinary place.
It was a hub of information, where rogue cultivators, mercenaries, and independent spies sold secrets for the right price.
The owner, an old woman with half her teeth missing, eyed him as he stepped inside.
"Another customer?" she rasped, eyes flickering with amusement. "You must be looking for something valuable to risk coming here."
Jiang Chen pulled out a small pouch and tossed it onto the table.
The moment it hit the wood, a faint silver glow leaked out.
A spirit stone.
Not an ordinary one, either—a high-grade spirit stone, something even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would kill for.
The old woman's greedy fingers snatched it up instantly, but her smile remained unchanged.
"So, what do you want to know?"
Jiang Chen leaned forward, his golden eyes narrowing.
"Tell me everything about the Crimson Blade Sect's movements. Their next move. Who they'll send. What their elders are saying."
The old woman cackled. "Oh, boy. You really did stir up a mess, didn't you?"
She glanced over the spirit stone again before speaking.
"Word is, their Second Elder is furious. He wanted to send an execution squad immediately, but the sect master told him to wait. They're trying to get approval from their higher branches."
Jiang Chen's brow furrowed.
Higher branches?
So the Crimson Blade Sect wasn't just a local force. They had backers.
"And what about Ironhollow's City Lord?"
The old woman smirked. "Ah. Feng Tianlan? He's… watching. But he hasn't interfered yet. He's waiting to see what happens next."
Jiang Chen clicked his tongue.
That meant the City Lord wouldn't protect him.
Not unless he made himself valuable enough.
But Jiang Chen wasn't interested in politics.
Let them watch. Let them wait.
He'd show them why waiting was a mistake.
As Jiang Chen left the teahouse, his mind worked quickly.
If the Crimson Blade Sect was waiting for approval, that meant he had a small window of opportunity.
He could sit and wait for them to come to him.
Or…
He could strike first.
A slow grin crept across his face.
"They expect me to run or hide."
"I think I'd rather show them what happens when you corner chaos itself."
Ironhollow's Western Slums – Midnight
The Crimson Blade Sect had an outpost in the slums—one of their hidden gathering points, used for assassins, enforcers, and spies.
Most people didn't even know it existed.
But Jiang Chen wasn't most people.
He had followed the whispers, traced the movements of injured disciples, and pieced together the pattern.
Now, standing on a rooftop overlooking the dark building, he could sense them.
At least ten cultivators inside.
Most Qi Condensation Realm, maybe one or two at Foundation Establishment.
Jiang Chen rolled his shoulders.
"A good warm-up."
The first man never saw him coming.
Jiang Chen dropped from the rooftop like a shadow, his spear flashing in the darkness.
BOOM!
A single strike crushed the man's ribs, sending him slamming into the ground, blood spraying across the dirt floor.
The others reacted instantly.
"INTRUDER!"
Figures burst into the room, swords and Qi techniques flaring to life.
Jiang Chen grinned.
The air twisted as his Chaos Core flared, distorting the space around him.
One disciple lunged at him with a fire-coated blade.
Jiang Chen twisted around the strike, grabbed the man's wrist, and—
CRACK!
His grip alone shattered the bones beneath the skin.
The disciple screamed—but only for a second. Jiang Chen's spear pierced through his chest a moment later.
Another charged in, a saber flashing toward his neck.
Jiang Chen ducked, spun, and countered in one fluid motion.
His spear moved like a dragon's tail, arcing in a perfect curve—
BOOM!
The compressed force exploded on impact, sending the enemy crashing through the wooden walls.
The room erupted into chaos.
Jiang Chen weaved between attacks, his every movement carrying a ghostly afterimage left behind by the ripples of his chaotic energy.
Two more came at him from opposite sides.
Jiang Chen leapt straight up.
They collided into each other.
He landed on one of their backs, driving his spear downward, straight through the man's spine.
The last Foundation Establishment cultivator hesitated.
He looked at the bodies piling up.
He looked at Jiang Chen's untouched figure, the way his flawless face remained calm, almost… amused.
Fear crept into his bones.
"You… what are you?"
Jiang Chen tilted his head.
"Me?" He smirked. "I'm the guy your sect should've left alone."
The man tried to flee.
Jiang Chen moved faster.
A single thrust.
The spear pierced through the man's back, pinning him to the wall.
Jiang Chen exhaled.
His first message to the Crimson Blade Sect had been defensive.
This?
This was an announcement.