Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

More than a month had passed since the Profound Celestial Ancestor Realm closed.

Led by the Ten Great Dynasties, a great cleansing operation was launched against the surrounding factions, sweeping across the entire Eastern Continent.

Soon after, more and more dynasties joined in.

All the major powers were constantly expanding...

Flying Snow Dynasty, Icebound City.

The city had long been under a state of high alert. All who wished to pass through had to undergo rigorous screening and identity verification before being allowed entry.

Fortunately, before the Profound Celestial Ancestor Realm had closed, the president of the Cloud Sea Business Alliance—Zhao Hongluan’s father—had given Jiang Chen an Honorary Elder’s Token.

Thanks to the Cloud Sea Business Alliance Elder’s Token, Jiang Chen managed to pass the screening and enter Icebound City.

Inside Icebound City, commerce was stagnant. The city had lost all semblance of its former prosperity as a major trading hub.

As Jiang Chen made his way through the streets, he noticed pedestrians hurrying along their way. Squads of soldiers patrolled back and forth, and the atmosphere throughout Icebound City was exceptionally tense.

The Teleportation Hall was surrounded by Icebound City’s soldiers. A general at the Union Palace Realm looked at Jiang Chen and said in a heavy tone, "Apologies, but the entire dynasty is currently on high alert. The Teleportation Array can only be activated once a month. The next activation is tomorrow morning. You can register here now and come back then."

He could feel an invisible, oppressive aura emanating from Jiang Chen.

Despite Jiang Chen’s youth, the general didn’t dare show the slightest bit of disrespect.

Jiang Chen frowned. "Has the situation really gotten this dire?"

The general gave a wry smile. "The entire Eastern Continent is in chaos... Of the one hundred and eight domains, not a single one has been spared. They are all engulfed in war."

"Alright. Please register me, then. I’ll come back tomorrow," Jiang Chen said with a sigh of resignation.

’I expected the Ice Emperor’s appearance and the Mystic Sect’s reemergence to shake the Eastern Continent.’

’But I never thought things would escalate this quickly!’

The general nodded and took out a token, handing it to Jiang Chen. "At dawn tomorrow, the Teleportation Array will be active for one double-hour. Please make sure you are not late!"

Jiang Chen put away the token and turned to leave.

Only after Jiang Chen had disappeared down the street did the general let out a long, shaky breath. Without realizing it, a cold, bone-chilling sweat had soaked his back. He stared after Jiang Chen with lingering fear. ’What a terrifying aura... That man is definitely a Human King Realm master. I just can’t tell if he’s truly as young as he appears, or if he’s just mastered some age-defying art...’

「 」

After leaving the Teleportation Hall, Jiang Chen wandered around Icebound City.

Before he knew it, he had wandered over to the Celestial Secret Pavilion.

The Celestial Secret Pavilion was a mysterious organization that spanned the entire Eastern Continent. A branch could be found in almost every major city.

Rumor had it...

...that the Celestial Secret Pavilion was founded by a renowned Emperor Realm powerhouse of the Eastern Continent known as the Celestial Secret Elder. The Pavilion itself did not participate in any struggles for supremacy.

Their sole business was dealing in news and intelligence.

In fact, there was nothing on the Eastern Continent that the Celestial Secret Pavilion didn’t know.

"Hurry, go take a look! The Celestial Secret Pavilion just released the latest edition of the Three Venerable Lists!"

"I heard a whole swath of the top ten masters from the last Human Venerable List have fallen. Even the number one spot has a new name!"

"No doubt about it, Jiang Chen’s got to be number one on the Human Venerable List this time!"

"Gai Shi broke through to the Human King Realm! I heard he challenged a master from the Earth Venerable List half a month ago. He’ll probably make it onto the list himself!"

"Making it onto the Earth Venerable List right after reaching the Human King Realm... Gai Shi truly is the strongest genius in the history of the Eastern Continent!"

"No, let me correct you. Jiang Chen is the greatest of all time..."

The cultivators discussed amongst themselves as they all surged toward the Celestial Secret Pavilion.

Black Emperor, perched on Little White’s head, scratched its own head with its fleshy wings and looked at Jiang Chen. "Jiang Chen, aren’t you going to go take a look?"

Little White’s eyes narrowed. "Yeah, Boss, let’s go check it out!"

"Alright!"

After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Chen stepped into the Celestial Secret Pavilion with his two companions.

A crowd had already formed in front of the counter.

They were all there to buy the Three Venerable Lists. Jiang Chen finally managed to squeeze through the crowd, spending ten Lower-Grade Spirit Crystals to purchase a copy.

Looking at the tri-colored scroll in his hand, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but give a wry smile. ’The Celestial Secret Pavilion really knows how to do business. The materials for this scroll probably only cost a few dozen pieces of silver, yet they sell it for ten Lower-Grade Spirit Crystals. What’s more, every copy is enchanted with a special Array that requires Blood Recognition to view. If you want to read it, you have to buy your own copy...’

The entire Eastern Continent was made up of 108 domains, and each domain contained countless dynasties and kingdoms.

The Cloud Domain alone...

...had seventy to eighty nations with populations over a billion, and more than a dozen dynasties with populations in the tens of billions.

Forget about every person buying a copy;

just selling one per nation would amount to an immense fortune!

"Jiang Chen, hurry up and look!"

"Boss, you’re number one on the Human Venerable List, right?"

Black Emperor and Little White both flew onto Jiang Chen’s shoulders, their expressions tense.

Jiang Chen laughed. "I’m on it, I’m on it."

He performed the Blood Recognition.

Light flared from the Three Venerable Lists, and the first to come into view was the bronze-colored section.

This was the Human Venerable List!

The three lists were color-coded: bronze, silver, and gold. The Human Venerable List was bronze, and the Celestial Venerable List was gold.

Lines of text began to materialize on the bronze scroll...

Human Venerable List, First Place: Jiang Chen, Cloud Domain, Saint Martial Dynasty.

Jiang Chen, age eighteen. From Yandu City, Cloud Domain Saint Martial Dynasty.

At age fifteen, he awakened a Yellow Tier Fifth Grade Martial Soul, was deemed a disgrace by the Jiang Family of Yandu City, and was subsequently cast out...

「Two years later.」

Jiang Chen took first place in the Celestial Fate Ancient Realm, eliminated the Sect Master of the Saint Martial Sword Sect, and renamed the sect to the Heaven-Soaring Saint Sect...

He then journeyed to the Profound Celestial Ancestor Realm, where he successively slew Long Jingyun of the Human Venerable List, as well as the list’s third-ranked master, Song Jiuxiao...

「Before Ancestor Mountain.」

He slew several Human Kings and slaughtered Yiin Tianhe, ranked 9,326th on the Earth Venerable List, revealing his power as a Spirit King Level Divine Thought Master. He clashed with Human Emperor Yue Qianshan using his Divine Thought and survived several of the Human Emperor’s attacks. A suspected Emperor Realm Powerhouse backing him then made a move, slaying Yue Qianshan and shaking the entire Eastern Continent!

Our Celestial Secret Pavilion’s Pavilion Master has issued his personal verdict: Jiang Chen is the greatest genius in the history of the Eastern Continent!

Each character shone with golden light, brilliant as divine radiance.

"H-Holy shit! Jiang Chen is way too badass, isn’t he? To be personally judged the number one genius in the Eastern Continent’s history by the Pavilion Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion?"

"He actually comes from some backwater corner of the Cloud Domain? That can’t be right."

"How can a godforsaken place like that possibly produce such a genius?"

"It’s unbelievable!"

Gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the Celestial Secret Pavilion.

Jiang Chen himself was rather surprised. He hadn’t expected the Celestial Secret Elder, one of the most prominent figures in the Eastern Continent, to give him such a high evaluation.

’The Celestial Secret Pavilion’s intelligence network really is something else. They’ve dug up practically my entire life story,’ Jiang Chen thought with a grin, shaking his head. ’The greatest genius in the history of the Eastern Continent, huh? Heh.’

’The world only sees my current glory.’

’How could they possibly know what I’ve sacrificed to achieve what I have today?’

Jiang Chen was about to look at the rest of the lists when he suddenly heard a cry from the crowd, even louder than before. "Hey, look! Look at the Earth Venerable List! Holy shit, did the Celestial Secret Pavilion make a mistake? How is Jiang Chen on the Earth Venerable List too? Rank nine thousand, three hundred and twenty-six: Jiang Chen?"

"He took Yiin Tianhe’s spot on the list!"

"Damn! So being number one on the Human Venerable List wasn’t enough for him? His name is on the Earth Venerable List too?"

"One person on two lists! It’s truly unprecedented!"

"This guy is a total badass!"

"From now on, Jiang Chen is my idol..."

Listening to the astonished cries from the crowd, Jiang Chen froze for a moment. He then opened the second scroll—the Earth Venerable List. Sure enough, his name was there.

One person, two lists!

Number one in the Eastern Continent...

*[End of the fifth Chapter burst! Jiang Chen is on two lists, but our novel, Soaring Heaven Divine Emperor, isn’t on the recommendation or monthly pass rankings. Boo-hoo, please help us out, everyone!]*