Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Jiang Chen was immersed in the Holy Blood Spirit Pool.

The golden blood began to boil, as if it were in a heated pot. Golden bubbles rose one after another from the bottom of the spirit pool.

Streams of golden blood transformed into countless sharp knives, relentlessly boring into Jiang Chen’s body.

Searing heat. Piercing stabs. Heart-rending agony.

Jiang Chen felt as if his very soul was being torn to shreds, his entire being submerged in unspeakable pain.

"It hurts so much..."

’What the hell is this stuff? How can it be so painful?’

Jiang Chen’s face was completely contorted in pain.

His physical body was currently comparable to a Saint-tier Profound Weapon, incredibly tough. Even being struck by another Saint-tier Profound Weapon would have barely caused him any pain.

But this Golden Holy Blood seemed to ignore his defenses completely.

It felt as if countless giant hands were tearing at his muscles and meridians, a heart-wrenching pain that was utterly unbearable.

Jiang Chen’s consciousness began to fade.

’No, I can’t fall asleep! I have to hold on...’ Jiang Chen roared hysterically to himself.

He had only just entered, and already he felt the urge to flee the Holy Blood Spirit Pool. But Jiang Chen knew he absolutely could not give up.

If he gave up...

...all his previous efforts would be for nothing, and his attempt to claim ownership of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle would fail!

That was an outcome he could not accept!

’Block it... Block this pain...’ Jiang Chen clenched his jaw, mustering all of his consciousness to resist the soul-tearing agony.

It was undeniable that Jiang Chen’s consciousness was exceptionally strong.

He gritted his teeth and continuously used his Divine Thought Power to stimulate his mind, struggling to stay awake.

At the same time, he circulated the Profound Yellow Undying Technique to devour the Holy Blood.

The Holy Blood contained an incredibly terrifying power. Even a single trace of it held enough force to make his meridians and body explode.

He didn’t dare to devour it recklessly.

If he absorbed even a little too much at once, he would likely explode and die.

He could only use the Profound Yellow Undying Technique to slowly absorb and refine it. Using the Heaven-Swallowing Secret Technique was out of the question. Jiang Chen was certain that if he dared to use the Heaven-Swallowing Secret Technique to wantonly devour the Holy Blood in the spirit pool, he would explode and die in an instant!

SWISH!

The Golden Holy Blood transformed into fine threads that surged into his body, piercing his tough skin and flesh. They raged through him like an out-of-control army of thousands, stampeding ceaselessly.

A golden light enveloped Jiang Chen’s entire body.

It grew brighter and brighter!

He looked as if he had been cast in gold. He clenched his jaw, still holding on.

He stimulated his consciousness with his Divine Thought, forcing himself to stay awake.

But the Holy Blood in the pool was too abundant and too powerful. Jiang Chen only managed to last for half a month before his Divine Thought was almost completely exhausted. His consciousness slowly blurred, and his tense body went slack. Having lost conscious control, Jiang Chen’s body went limp.

Corroded by the endless Golden Holy Blood, his body sank toward the bottom of the Holy Blood Spirit Pool.

GLUG GLUG GLUG!

His unconscious body no longer controlled the intake of Holy Blood, and it began to surge into him continuously.

At this very moment, a different scene appeared within Jiang Chen’s consciousness.

On a magnificent plaza.

A sea of people.

At this moment, everyone in the plaza was gazing with adoration at the young man in rich, ornate robes standing at its center.

"Wow, so that’s Jiang Chen, the strongest genius of our Jiang Family!"

"Brother Chen, I want to have your babies!"

"Pah! Who do you think you are? Young Master Jiang Chen is handsome and incredibly talented. Only Miss Qingyi is worthy of him!"

In the middle of the crowd.

Jiang Chen opened his eyes. Hearing the praise from the people around him, a look of confusion appeared on his face. "Where... where am I?"

Just then.

The crowd parted to reveal a peerless beauty in a long, cyan dress. Her face could topple nations, and her figure was graceful. The young woman had bright eyes, pearly teeth, and a serene smile. Her crisp, clear voice was incomparably pleasant. "Brother Chen, Qingyi missed you so much!"

"Qingyi?"

Jiang Chen was stunned. In a flash, he appeared before Xiao Qingyi, gripping her shoulders with both hands and looking the lovely woman up and down. "Qingyi, is it really you? You’re awake?"

"Mhm, I’m awake! It was Brother Chen who saved me!"

Xiao Qingyi danced before Jiang Chen like a sprite, graceful and enchanting, like a nimble sparrow. She said with a beaming smile, "Brother Chen, you said you would marry me after I woke up! You weren’t lying, were you?"

"I wasn’t! Absolutely not!"

Jiang Chen shook his head repeatedly, tightly grasping Qingyi’s soft hand. He said earnestly, "But Qingyi, our wedding will have to wait a little longer. I told you... I will kill Xiang Tianwen, and then I will give you the grandest wedding. I want to make you the happiest bride in the world."

"Okay, I’ll wait for you!"

Qingyi smiled serenely and nodded obediently.

Suddenly...

...the world changed.

Everything before him vanished.

The grand and solemn plaza disappeared, replaced by a battlefield. The field was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, with dead bodies strewn everywhere.

Rivers of blood flowed!

It was like a human Asura Field!

At this very moment.

Two peaks appeared in the middle of the battlefield. Jiang Chen stood atop one of them, his body stained with so much blood he couldn’t tell if it was his or his enemies’. He held the Spirit-Slaying Sword, and his vitality surged like a True Dragon ascending to the heavens, his aura so potent it stirred the clouds in all directions.

On the opposite peak...

...stood Xiang Tianwen, a savage grin on his face. In his hand, he held Xiao Qingyi.

Xiao Qingyi’s face was pale. Xiang Tianwen had her by the throat, the cold edge of a Battle Blade resting on her neck. Xiang Tianwen sneered, "Jiang Chen, I never would have thought! The weak little ant that I could have crushed with a single finger back then has actually grown this strong. Heh heh heh, but what a pity. In the end, you can’t beat me! Because you’re not ruthless enough! HAHAHA! To save the people of that one city, you left your woman behind in your nest, and I captured her. What right do you have to fight me now?"

"Xiang Tianwen, let Qingyi go! Let’s have a fair fight!" Jiang Chen roared.

Xiang Tianwen laughed maniacally. "Let her go? Fine... You like saving people, don’t you? How about this: for every kingdom you slaughter, I will spare one part of her. This little beauty has ten fingers, four limbs, and one head... Just slaughter fifteen kingdoms, and I’ll spare her. How about it?"

"You..."

Jiang Chen glared at him, furious.

Xiang Tianwen sneered. "What? Unwilling? Then I’ll have to be cruel to this delicate flower!"

The Battle Blade in his hand swung down toward Xiao Qingyi’s palm.

"No..."

Jiang Chen bellowed, his eyes blood-red. He struggled violently for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Fine! You said it yourself. As long as I slaughter those fifteen kingdoms, you’ll let Qingyi go."

"That’s right!"

Xiang Tianwen roared with laughter.

Jiang Chen looked at Xiao Qingyi. "Qingyi, wait for me. It’s just fifteen kingdoms. I’ll be back soon. As long as I slaughter them, I can save you. We’ll get married, and I’ll make you the happiest bride!"

As he spoke.

Jiang Chen, holding the Spirit-Slaying Sword, was engulfed in a sky-high Evil Qi as he prepared to leave.

Just as he turned, Xiao Qingyi’s voice reached him. "The Brother Chen I remember would never slaughter the innocent. Brother Chen, I want to be your bride. I really, really want to be your bride. But I don’t want you to go against your own principles for my sake. Brother Chen, if there’s a next life, I will definitely be your bride!"

A flash of blood-red light shot skyward as Xiao Qingyi threw herself onto the sharp Battle Blade.

"No..."

Jiang Chen roared hysterically, his vision filled with a crimson glow. "No... Qingyi, no..."

"Goodbye, Brother Chen..."

Xiao Qingyi’s body gradually went limp. Her face held a look of longing and reluctance as she murmured, "Brother Chen, no matter what happens... don’t... don’t ever forget... your own... heart..."

BOOM!

Jiang Chen’s charging figure froze. Xiao Qingyi’s final words struck him like a bolt from the blue, a sudden, harsh awakening.

’Don’t forget your own heart?’

’Never forget your original purpose; only then will you reach the end?’

The words of that mysterious old man suddenly echoed in his mind. The blood-red light in Jiang Chen’s eyes faded, and his vision cleared. The battlefield before him vanished, the mountain of corpses and sea of blood disappeared without a trace. The savage-faced Xiang Tianwen shattered, and Xiao Qingyi’s body dissipated with the wind.

’It was fake. It was all fake? Never forget your original purpose; only then will you reach the end? I understand. I understand now...’

SPLASH...

「In the Holy Blood Spirit Pool.」

Jiang Chen’s eyes snapped open, two beams of brilliant light shooting from them. He glanced at the Golden Holy Blood surrounding him, and the corner of his mouth lifted. "So this was the Third Stage of the trial. I understand... Holy Blood Spirit Pool, be refined by me!"

At that moment, Jiang Chen no longer felt the piercing pain.

Instead, the Holy Blood in the spirit pool gave him a warm sensation.

He could finally circulate the Heaven-Devouring Secret Technique without restraint and begin to devour it.

However...

...as Jiang Chen was immersed in the Holy Blood Spirit Pool, devouring the Holy Blood and experiencing an explosive increase in his cultivation, he failed to notice something. While he was receiving the inheritance inside the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle, the Communication Token in his Storage Ring was flashing with an urgent light...