Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Heaven-Devouring Secret Technique.

As Jiang Chen unleashed the Secret Technique, a ball of golden light erupted from his palm, blindingly brilliant.

Gai Shi and the others watching from a distance instinctively shut their eyes.

In that fleeting moment their eyes were closed...

Jiang Chen had already devoured all of Song Jiuxiao’s Martial Soul and Essence Blood, placing them in the Profound Yellow Melting Furnace to be tempered and refined. Meanwhile, a blazing fire shot from his palm, transforming into a scorching inferno that enveloped Song Jiuxiao.

Song Jiuxiao had already been smashed into a pulp.

Now, without his Martial Soul and Essence Blood, his flesh and blood were like that of a dried corpse.

It ignited in an instant.

In a flash, he was reduced to a pile of ash on the ground!

"What happened?"

"Did he win?"

Gai Shi and the others opened their eyes.

They all looked toward Jiang Chen, and when they saw the scene before them, their faces froze and their expressions went blank.

Jiang Chen had just pulled the Spirit-Slaying Sword from the ground. He gently wiped the blood from the blade, gave it a light shake, and then absorbed it into his body.

As for Song Jiuxiao, there was no sign of him!

"Where’s Song Jiuxiao?"

"Don’t tell me he escaped?"

Zhao Hongluan looked at Jiang Chen in confusion, but Gai Shi’s eyes, which seemed to swallow and spit golden light, held a knowing and insightful glimmer.

Jiang Chen smiled. "He’s already dead!"

"Dead?"

Zhao Hongluan was stunned. "But didn’t he have Ancestral Spirit Possession and an Undying Body?"

Jiang Chen shrugged and said, "If there’s truly such a thing as undying, then how did the Ancestral Spirit he devoured die?"

With that said, Jiang Chen didn’t dwell on the topic. He took a deep breath and walked over to Zifeng Jun and Purple Wind Frost.

Zhao Hongluan looked completely baffled, unable to make sense of it.

Gai Shi stared at Jiang Chen’s back with his shimmering golden eyes, gently stroking his chin with a playful look. ’Song Jiuxiao, third on the Human Venerable List, was killed so easily even after using Ancestral Spirit Possession. Heh heh, this guy is getting more and more interesting!’

...

"Jiang Chen... Th-thank you!" Zifeng Jun said, leaning against a tombstone, forcing a faint smile onto his pale face.

Jiang Chen shook his head. "We’re brothers, there’s no need for thanks! Let me help heal your wounds."

"Heal my wounds?"

Zifeng Jun was taken aback, then gave a bitter smile. "My cultivation has been crippled. Even if my limbs can heal, how can my cultivation be restored? Don’t waste your energy. Go check on my sister."

Zifeng Jun was completely listless.

His face no longer held its usual confidence, nor its calm composure or the dauntless heart of a hero.

He emanated a thick aura of negativity and despair.

Jiang Chen frowned. A glint flashed in his eyes as he saw Zifeng Jun’s condition with perfect clarity, and he couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself. ’If we were in the Celestial Fate Ancient Realm, I could probably find a way to get a Spirit Fruit from Celestial Fate Elder to restore his cultivation. But the Celestial Fate Ancient Realm is closed now. To restore his cultivation, the only way is to refine a Fifth-Grade Spirit Pill, the Life-and-Death Reincarnation Pill.’

A Fifth Grade Alchemist.

As far as Jiang Chen knew, there were fewer than ten of them in the entire Eastern Continent.

Moreover...

Once a master reached that level, no matter where they went, they could enjoy treatment and status no less than that of someone at the Human Emperor Level.

To get a Fifth Grade Alchemist to take action and help refine a Life-and-Death Reincarnation Pill... would likely be no easier than entering the Celestial Fate Ancient Realm to ask for a Spirit Fruit.

"Zifeng Jun, I promise you... as long as you stay alive, I will find a way to restore you within a year!" Jiang Chen said, grabbing Zifeng Jun’s shoulders. His eyes blazed with a scorching light, forcing Zifeng Jun to look at him as he spoke each word with emphasis.

A glimmer of hope appeared on Zifeng Jun’s despair-filled face as he asked, "A-are you telling the truth?"

"I am!"

Jiang Chen nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice, "Within a year, I will definitely restore you. Believe me!"

’I’ve already reached the level of a Fourth-Grade High-level Divine Thought Grandmaster.’

’The realm of a Fifth Grade Spirit King isn’t too far off, either!’

’Once I step into the Fifth Grade Spirit King realm, I’ll be able to refine Fifth-Grade Spirit Pills.’

Zifeng Jun looked at Jiang Chen earnestly. After a moment, a radiant light of hope finally appeared in his despair-filled eyes. He nodded and said, "I believe you!"

"Mm."

Jiang Chen nodded, then looked toward Purple Wind Frost.

After everything she had been through, the little girl was utterly exhausted. Now that she was finally safe, she had fallen asleep from sheer fatigue.

Zhao Hongluan was holding her and shook her head at Jiang Chen. "She’s just exhausted and fell asleep. That Song Jiuxiao must have wanted her for himself, but she doesn’t seem to be injured!"

Jiang Chen nodded. "I’ll leave her in your care, then!"

"Okay."

Zhao Hongluan cradled Purple Wind Frost in her arms and took out a cloak to cover her with.

The Celestial Burial Demon Mausoleum was enormous.

The place where Jiang Chen and his group were was not the only entrance. Besides, to even ascend the Celestial Burial Demon Mausoleum, it was absolutely impossible to get past the barricade of blood-sucking vines without the combat power of someone in the top one thousand of the Human Venerable List.

Therefore, while Jiang Chen and his group rested for a while, they didn’t see any other experts pass by.

Jiang Chen sat cross-legged under a poplar tree, his sword-like brows knitted with a trace of worry.

They had now reached the final destination within the Profound Celestial Ancestor Realm.

But there was still no news of the Profound Celestial Ice Marrow, the goal of his journey, and Jiang Chen’s heart burned with anxiety.

"How are Zifeng Jun and Hanshuang recovering?" Jiang Chen asked, looking at Zhao Hongluan as she approached.

Zhao Hongluan nodded. "They’ve recovered a lot. But Zifeng Jun was too severely injured; he spends most of his time asleep. Hanshuang blames herself for his injuries. She’s been watching over him constantly, refusing to eat or drink. It’s quite worrying!"

"There’s nothing to be done about that. She has to resolve her own inner turmoil; we can’t help her with it," Jiang Chen said.

"Inner turmoil?"

Zhao Hongluan paused. Her eyes shifted slightly, and she bit her lip as if steeling her resolve before asking, "Then your inner turmoil... it must be about the girl in Little Black’s strange space, right?"

Jiang Chen faltered for a moment, then smiled. "You’ve seen Qingyi?"

At the mention of Qingyi’s name, the corners of Jiang Chen’s mouth curled up involuntarily.

A smile of pure happiness and contentment appeared on his face.

This felt like a knife twisting in Zhao Hongluan’s heart. She said, "Is that girl’s name Qingyi? C-can I ask who she is? What is she to you?"

"Her? She’s the most important woman in my life!"

Jiang Chen smiled as every little memory of meeting and getting to know Qingyi flashed through his mind. "...I came to the Profound Celestial Ice Field this time to find the Profound Celestial Ice Marrow and build a Profound Celestial Ice Coffin to protect Qingyi’s body. I have to find a way to wake her up again."

Seeing the determination on Jiang Chen’s face, Zhao Hongluan’s heart sank. She knew she could never replace Xiao Qingyi’s place in Jiang Chen’s heart.

She clenched her embroidered fists, just about to speak when suddenly, a figure flew out from within the Celestial Burial Demon Mausoleum. It was Gai Shi!

Gai Shi’s face was lit with excitement as he looked at Jiang Chen. "Jiang Chen, I have great news!"

"What is it?"

Jiang Chen was taken aback. Gai Shi was the restless type. While Zifeng Jun and the others were healing, he had been wandering the Celestial Burial Demon Mausoleum alone, as elusive as a divine dragon showing only its head but not its tail. For him to suddenly appear acting so erratically made Jiang Chen very curious.

Gai Shi grinned smugly. "You’re going to have to thank me big time for this! You know how I’ve been wandering around the Celestial Burial Demon Mausoleum?"

Jiang Chen nodded.

Gai Shi grinned. "Well, as I was passing through the center of the Celestial Burial Demon Mausoleum, I found a strange ancient tomb. In front of the tomb, there’s a peculiar lake. Guess what I found in it?"

"What?"

Jiang Chen swallowed hard. Though he asked the question, he already had a good idea what the answer was.

Just as he expected...

Gai Shi broke into a wide grin and announced, word by word, "The Profound Celestial Ice Marrow. I found the Profound Celestial Ice Marrow you’ve been dreaming of!"