The battlefield reeked of blood and death. Jiang Chen stood amidst the wreckage, his spear still dripping crimson, his golden-amber eyes locked onto the Crimson Blade Sect elder before him. The weight of his opponent's cultivation bore down on him like a falling mountain, but Jiang Chen did not so much as flinch.
Then—
BOOM.
The world shuddered.
A force like heavenly thunder crashing down split the sky itself, sending shockwaves that cracked the very ground beneath them. A violent gust of wind tore through the battlefield, scattering debris, bodies, and rubble as if a celestial storm had descended.
And from the chaotic dust, a shadowed figure emerged—
A towering man in black-and-gold robes, his hands casually resting behind his back. His long silver hair was tied back loosely, yet his sharp golden eyes gleamed with an untamed, battle-hungry madness.
Jiang Chen knew exactly who this was.
He had met this force of nature before.
Zhao Yan of the Heaven Sundering Sect.
And once again, he had arrived in the most domineering way possible.
The Crimson Blade Sect elder narrowed his eyes. "You again…"
Zhao Yan's grin widened, his teeth gleaming under the moonlight. "What a sorry sight. I didn't think I'd run into you idiots twice in one lifetime."
The elder's expression darkened. "This matter has nothing to do with you. The Crimson Blade Sect has issued an edict on this boy's life. Step aside, and you won't be caught up in this."
Zhao Yan laughed. A deep, thunderous, utterly fearless sound.
Step aside? Him?
"You must be fucking stupid." His voice rumbled like a storm, his arms still lazily resting behind his back. "Do I look like the type to let a bunch of weaklings make demands of me?"
The elder's Qi flared violently, his eyes narrowing. "You dare to insult the Crimson Blade Sect?!"
Zhao Yan smirked. "I dare to burn it to the ground."
BOOM!
A single step cracked the earth beneath him, the sheer weight of his presence sending ripples through the air itself.
Jiang Chen felt his heartbeat accelerate—not out of fear, but out of excitement.
This man was insane.
And he loved every second of it.
The Crimson Blade Sect elder wasted no time.
He vanished.
His movement was like a streak of blood-red light, his Qi coalescing into a vicious technique as he shot forward, his palm wreathed in a spiraling storm of Crimson Blade Qi.
"Crimson Blood Seal—Devouring Claw!"
The sheer heat from the technique warped the air, the strike aimed straight at Zhao Yan's skull.
Jiang Chen tensed. Even I would struggle to—
BOOM!
A golden fist rose to meet the elder's attack.
The moment the two forces collided, the entire landscape detonated, sending raging shockwaves in all directions. The ground split apart, boulders exploded into dust, and an ear-splitting crack echoed as if the heavens themselves had shattered.
The elder's Crimson Blood Claw… shattered.
His entire arm bent at an unnatural angle.
His body was flung backward, crashing through three trees before smashing into a boulder, coughing up blood in shock.
Zhao Yan exhaled slowly, his golden eyes burning with amusement. "That's your best attack?"
Jiang Chen's eyes gleamed.
He hadn't even used a technique yet.
The Crimson Blade Elder staggered, his mind racing. This isn't possible. He broke my technique—casually?
He gritted his teeth, forcibly ignoring his shattered arm, and summoned an even greater power.
Blood-red Qi exploded outward, forming a massive array above them. The symbols ignited in the air, forming a sea of crimson blades, each radiating death.
"Crimson Annihilation Array—Ten Thousand Blades of Blood!"
Thousands of blazing crimson swords rained down, aiming to pierce Zhao Yan from every direction. The ground trembled under the sheer might of the technique.
Jiang Chen could feel it—this attack was enough to flatten a city block.
And yet—
Zhao Yan simply raised a single finger.
"Heaven Sundering Art—Sky Splitter."
The sky ripped open.
BOOM!!!
A titanic golden blade of pure energy erupted from his fingertip, slicing cleanly through the entire Crimson Annihilation Array like a sword through paper.
The thousands of crimson blades?
Shattered instantly.
The Crimson Blade Elder's pupils shrank to the size of needles.
He never even had a chance to dodge.
CRACK.
A single finger flick from Zhao Yan sent the elder rocketing through the air, his body spinning like a ragdoll before crashing into the side of a mountain, embedding him several meters deep into the rock face.
A suffocating silence filled the battlefield.
Jiang Chen whistled. "Damn."
Zhao Yan rolled his shoulders. "I expected more."
The few remaining Crimson Blade Sect disciples were frozen in terror.
"M-Monster…" one of them whispered.
The others didn't even dare to speak.
Zhao Yan grinned. "That's enough of this nonsense. Run back to your little sect and tell Bai Tianhong that if he wants to touch my future junior, he better start digging his own grave first."
The Crimson Blade disciples didn't hesitate.
They fled for their lives.
As the battlefield finally quieted, Zhao Yan turned toward Jiang Chen.
"You didn't die yet. That's good."
Jiang Chen smirked, flipping the jade token Zhao Yan had given him earlier between his fingers.
"So, what? You're here to force me to join?"
Zhao Yan chuckled. "I don't force shit. You want power, don't you? This world will crush you if you don't take it for yourself."
He stepped forward, his golden gaze locking onto Jiang Chen's.
"Come to the Heaven Sundering Sect. Learn how to split the sky itself."
Jiang Chen stared at the token.
This… was an opportunity.
A chance to become stronger than ever before.
He took a deep breath, his golden-amber eyes flickering with chaos.
A choice had to be made
Authors Message: (Don't forget to add the book to your library!) (The book is still new and growing and if you enjoy, drop a power stone!) (I'm also totally open to hearing comments, criticisms, and more in the comments section, so drop one below, I'd love to hear your thoughts and engage with you all!) (P.S.-For the next month, every power stone dropped will be one extra chapter dropped! I will work my hardest if you all are interested!) Join the discord for exclusive updates and more! https://discord.gg/Ks3PPzSs