Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Inside the Ice Hall.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, completely stunned.

"He... he lost?"

"Zhuo Bufan actually lost?"

"Does Jiang Chen really have the strength to be in the top ten of the Human Venerable List? My god, this is huge! A new top-ten expert has emerged..."

The experts all cried out in shock.

A change in the top one hundred of the Human Venerable List was enough to cause celebration throughout a dynasty.

As for the top ten, that was an earth-shaking event for the entire Eastern Continent.

Any expert in the top ten of the Human Venerable List, provided they didn’t fall prematurely, was destined to become an Overlord in the Human Emperor Realm.

Across the Eastern Continent, every Upper Grade Dynasty and major power would vie to recruit them and curry their favor.

However...

The top ten of the Human Venerable List hadn’t changed in a very long time, not since Gai Shi defeated Long Jingyun.

But now, at last, there was Jiang Chen.

The gazes of many experts on Jiang Chen became fervent. They had already resolved to get on his good side.

At the very least, they couldn’t afford to offend a young Overlord like him!

Jiang Chen retracted his Spirit-Slaying Sword. Hidden in his sleeve, his right hand trembled slightly. ’A Saint-Tier Martial Skill lives up to its name,’ he thought wryly. ’Even an incomplete one possesses such incredible power. With my current cultivation, using Creation of Heaven and Earth is no problem, but performing Heaven and Earth Split is a serious strain.’

A Saint-Tier Martial Skill.

The power, energy, and comprehension of the Mystical Realm it required were all far greater.

Using it by force came with severe side effects.

Fortunately, the technique I’d used was enough to defeat Zhuo Bufan.

’I doubt many people will dare to provoke me from now on!’

"Jiang Chen, you... you... you actually defeated Zhuo Bufan? This is unbelievable!" Purple Wind Frost’s eyes widened, shimmering with pure joy and excitement.

Zhao Hongluan’s expression was complicated. As she looked at Jiang Chen, a flicker of disappointment passed through the depths of her eyes.

When she first met Jiang Chen, she had only been curious about the Black Emperor’s true identity. But then, he had defeated Lin Fan. That was followed by the series of events in the Profound Celestial Ice Field. Jiang Chen’s rate of growth was simply astonishing—so fast that it filled her with a sense of despair. It was as if they weren’t from the same world, as if the distance between them was growing ever wider. Zhao Hongluan sighed softly. ’A peerless talent like him... am I... really worthy of him?’

The Little Vermilion Bird sensed its master’s dejection and nuzzled its head against her.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

A crisp round of applause rang out, drawing everyone’s attention.

A young man emerged from an inconspicuous corner, clad in Golden Armor with a Coiling Dragon Golden Long Spear slung across his back.

"Long Jingyun?"

"What is he doing? Does he want to fight Jiang Chen?"

"That’s impossible, right? Long Jingyun is the second-ranked expert on the Human Venerable List. His only true opponent is Gai Shi!"

Under the confused stares of the crowd, Long Jingyun walked up to Jiang Chen. He was the same height, and their eyes met.

Long Jingyun grinned. "Jiang Chen? You’re not bad."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "The second-ranked expert on the Human Venerable List, Long Jingyun?"

"The one and only."

An arrogant expression on his face, Long Jingyun lifted his chin slightly and said in a placid tone, "Gai Shi thinks very highly of you. He believes you’ll be qualified to fight him once you reach the Union Palace Realm Ninth Stage. But in my eyes, you’re nothing special."

The moment he spoke, the entire Ice Hall fell into a dead silence.

Long Jingyun’s words seemed ordinary, but they were packed with meaning.

First... Jiang Chen’s talent and strength had actually earned Gai Shi’s recognition.

Second, Long Jingyun held the opposite view of Gai Shi.

And most importantly, Long Jingyun didn’t seem friendly toward Jiang Chen—in fact, he seemed to resent him!

Zifeng Jun, Purple Wind Frost, and Zhao Hongluan all tensed up. If Long Jingyun were to attack Jiang Chen, they would fight him together, even if it meant certain death.

Long Jingyun’s gaze swept over Zifeng Jun and the others, a faint smile on his face.

"You don’t need to be so nervous. If I wanted to kill Jiang Chen, he’d already be a corpse." His gaze fell back upon Jiang Chen. "Jiang Chen, do you dare to withstand one strike from my finger?"

"Hm?"

Jiang Chen froze, looking at Long Jingyun in confusion.

’Withstand one of his finger strikes?’

’What does that mean?’

A sharp glint flashed in Long Jingyun’s eyes. "If you can withstand a single strike from my finger, it will prove you’re worthy of Gai Shi’s high opinion. Then, I will grant you the right to live... until you reach the Union Palace Realm Ninth Stage. At that time, I will kill you myself and show Gai Shi that his judgment was wrong. But if you can’t even withstand one strike, then you don’t even deserve to live!"

BOOM!

The entire Ice Hall erupted.

This was arrogance.

This was insolence.

This was confidence.

This was it.

Jiang Chen’s fists clenched abruptly, his eyes burning with a furious flame. He was so angry he felt his lungs would burst. ’What the fuck do you think you are? My right to live needs to be verified by you? Needs to be *granted* by you? Fuck you...’

Jiang Chen took a deep breath.

An azure-gold light pulsed in his eyes as he met Long Jingyun’s gaze, neither servile nor overbearing.

His voice was resolute and firm as he said coolly, "Long Jingyun, whether or not I’m qualified to live in this world is not for you to decide. Forget one finger strike. Even if you challenged me to a battle to the death right here and now, what would I, Jiang Chen, have to fear?"

"Jiang Chen..."

The expressions of Zifeng Jun and the others changed, and they looked at Jiang Chen with worry.

They were terrified that Jiang Chen had infuriated Long Jingyun!

Long Jingyun was taken aback for a moment, his eyes narrowing into slits. He suddenly burst into deafening laughter. "Excellent, just excellent! Whether you have the skill to back it up or not, your courage in daring to challenge me alone is enough to earn you the right to face one of my strikes. I, Long Jingyun, am a man of my word. I said you’d face one strike, and one strike it will be. As for a battle to the death? For that, at least for now, you are not yet qualified!"

The moment his voice fell, Long Jingyun suddenly raised his hand.

He raised his hand very slowly, lifting the index finger of his right hand.

Wisps of golden True Essence floated around his slender finger. Arcs of electrical True Essence, like miniature lightning bolts, collided and emitted a harsh SIZZLE.

The finger lanced forward.

It wasn’t fast.

But Jiang Chen’s expression was graver than ever. The power contained within that strike was absolutely extraordinary, far from as simple as it appeared.

"Divine Demon Tyrant Body!"

A dark golden light pulsed from Jiang Chen’s body. His hands, enveloped in a golden radiance, shot out to grab the finger of light hurtling through the air.

BANG!

The massive finger of light slammed into Jiang Chen’s palms.

It dragged his body backward by sheer force. Jiang Chen was pushed back step by step, each footfall gouging a deep crater in the ground as cracks spiderwebbed out in all directions.

BOOM!

Jiang Chen was driven all the way to the wall. His back slammed into the ice, and the entire Ice Hall shuddered violently.

CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...

The sound of shattering ice came from behind him as a massive fissure spread up the ice wall from the point of impact.

The light of the finger strike still hadn’t diminished.

It pressed forward relentlessly, clashing against Jiang Chen’s palms and sending up plumes of white smoke. It lasted for a full three seconds before finally dissipating.

Long Jingyun smiled faintly. "You actually blocked it? Jiang Chen, I will wait for you to break through to the Union Palace Realm Ninth Stage. Then, we will fight! Hahaha..."

He turned and walked away.

Leaning against the ice wall, Jiang Chen looked down at his blood-red palms. An icy glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at Long Jingyun’s departing back. "Long! Jing! Yun! I, too, will look forward to our—battle!"