Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

"I’m back!"

Just two simple words, yet they were like the most potent calming pill in the world.

It brought looks of sheer ecstasy to the faces of Gai Shi, Zhao Hongluan, Purple Wind Frost, and the Black Emperor.

Zhao Hongluan and Purple Wind Frost’s pretty faces were filled with excitement and elation. Their eyes turned red as tears began to well up and glisten.

The two of them covered their mouths with their hands, their shoulders trembling slightly. "He’s back... Jiang Chen is back! You’re not dead! This is wonderful, truly wonderful!"

The former number one on the Human Venerable List!

Now a Human King Realm powerhouse, Gai Shi’s eyes widened. His resolute face showed suppressed excitement. "Good, good, good! What did I tell you? A brother of Gai Shi doesn’t fall so easily! Hahaha, Jiang Chen, you’re finally back!"

Even the Black Emperor, who was usually so nonchalant, had red-rimmed eyes at this moment.

It stared intently at Jiang Chen.

With a pair of mud-caked, fleshy wings folded behind its back, it put on an inscrutable air, nodding and muttering to itself, "Though This Emperor isn’t too concerned about whether you live or die, you are under my protection, after all. If you fell that easily, it would be a great disgrace to This Emperor. It seems you’re not so bad after all!"

These words earned it an eye-roll from the other three.

They remembered very clearly...

When Gai Shi told them that Jiang Chen had been framed by Pei Shenghai and had fallen into the Ice Lake.

The Black Emperor had charged to the Ice Lake like a madbeast.

Ignoring the attempts of Gai Shi and the others to stop it, it plunged headfirst into the Ice Lake, determined to find Jiang Chen even if it meant death.

If Gai Shi hadn’t advanced to the Human King Realm and sacrificed a High-level Celestial Tier Profound Weapon Battle Armor to pull the Black Emperor, already frozen into an ice sculpture, out of the lake, it would have long since died a miserable death in the Ice Lake.

Seeing their concern and excitement, Jiang Chen’s lips curved into a smile, a wave of warmth washing over his heart.

’This feeling of being cared for... it’s really nice!’

Jiang Chen smiled at them and said, "Sorry for making you all worry."

"As long as you’re back..." Zhao Hongluan and Purple Wind Frost said in unison.

Gai Shi nodded, his gaze fiery. "It’s a good thing you’re back. Otherwise, we would have been framed by that bastard Pei Shenghai and died here."

The Black Emperor flapped its fleshy wings, flew to Jiang Chen’s shoulder, and sprawled across it.

On the surface, it appeared calm and collected.

But Jiang Chen could feel its small claws gripping his clothes tightly, as if afraid he would leave if it let go for even a second.

’This little guy acts tough, but he’s a real softie.’

Jiang Chen smiled to himself, rubbing the Black Emperor’s head. He looked at Gai Shi and the others and said, "Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one will harm my friends."

His gaze shifted, peering into the hazy black fog ahead. His Eyes of the Heavens pulsed with a tangible light.

He completely ignored the obstruction of the black fog, his calm and tranquil gaze landing on Pei Shenghai, who was hiding within it.

At that very moment, Pei Shenghai’s face was a mask of pure shock.

He stared in disbelief at the living, breathing Jiang Chen who had appeared before him, swallowing hard. ’This guy actually survived? Th-this... how is this possible? Even a Human King Realm powerhouse would struggle to withstand the cold of that Ice Lake. Even a Human King would face certain death if they fell in. How could this guy possibly come back alive?’

’But luckily, this is the Dark Swamp. With the black fog from the swamp providing cover, he shouldn’t be able to find me. I’m safe for now!’

Pei Shenghai glanced at the dense black fog around him and let out a long breath, his heart easing.

However, just as Pei Shenghai was sighing in relief, thinking he was safe...

Jiang Chen, hovering above the Netherworld Cave, suddenly spoke. His clear voice exploded in Pei Shenghai’s mind, scaring him so badly he froze like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, goosebumps instantly breaking out all over his skin. "Grand Elder Pei, do you really think I can’t do anything to you just because you’re hiding in this swamp’s black fog?"

"What?"

’He can use voice transmission? Has he found me? No, that’s impossible! This swamp fog interferes with True Essence detection. Even with my dignified cultivation at the Fourth Stage of the Human King Realm, my True Essence can only scan a radius of twenty to thirty meters. How could a mere Union Palace Realm cultivator possibly detect my position? He must be trying to bluff me!’

A shrewd light flickered in Pei Shenghai’s eyes.

The reason he was hiding in the Dark Swamp was precisely because of the black fog. Even for a powerhouse at the Peak of Human King Realm, finding someone here was like looking for a needle in a haystack!

If he hadn’t been unlucky enough for Gai Shi to discover his tracks and chase him all the way here, he, Pei Shenghai, wouldn’t have dared to venture so deep into the Dark Swamp himself.

At this thought, Pei Shenghai’s heart settled, and he was no longer worried. He sneered, "Jiang Chen, don’t try to provoke me with such pathetic little tricks. When I was making my name in the world, you were still playing in the mud! Trying to use a scheme like this to make me panic and reveal myself? You’re dreaming!"

At the edge of the Netherworld Cave.

Gai Shi frowned. "Jiang Chen, that old bastard is a sly old fox. He’s extremely cunning. He won’t fall for it so easily!"

Zhao Hongluan added, "That’s right, Jiang Chen. We tried to trick him into coming out before, but he didn’t fall for it at all."

The others also thought that Jiang Chen had just been trying to bluff Pei Shenghai.

Little did they know...

Jiang Chen really had found Pei Shenghai’s whereabouts.

The swamp’s black fog could indeed interfere with True Essence detection, but it couldn’t affect the senses of one’s Divine Thought!

Jiang Chen’s Divine Thought had already advanced to the level of a Fifth Grade Spirit King. With a single sweep, he could cover everything within a ten-kilometer radius in his perception.

Pei Shenghai was several thousand meters away, but he was still well within the range of Jiang Chen’s Divine Thought.

"Pei Shenghai, you really think I don’t know where you are?" Jiang Chen sneered. "In that case, I’ll just have to drag you out myself."

Jiang Chen thrust his palm into the air. The Present Skill from his Three Lives Technique suddenly activated, and as a colossal True Essence Palm passed through, the roiling black fog of the swamp shuddered violently.

The flowing black fog seemed to freeze in place.

From deep within the thick black fog, a blood-curdling scream suddenly rang out. "AARGH..."

The void shattered. The black fog churned and scattered in all directions.

A wretched figure was seen flying backward out of the dense black fog.

It landed right in front of Jiang Chen.

Disheveled and utterly miserable, Pei Shenghai stared at Jiang Chen in stunned disbelief. "You... how did you find me?"

"The black fog of the swamp is indeed powerful, but it couldn’t hide the aura of death on you," Jiang Chen said with a faint smile.

"The aura of death?"

Pei Shenghai froze.

Jiang Chen nodded. "Because you are about to die by my hand!"

"Die by your hand? Hahaha! Jiang Chen, you vastly overestimate yourself. If you and Gai Shi teamed up, you might be able to keep me here. But you... you want to kill me alone? You’re dreaming!" Pei Shenghai scoffed.

He was a dignified Fourth Stage Human King, while Jiang Chen was merely in the Union Palace Realm.

Pei Shenghai didn’t believe for a second that Jiang Chen could threaten his life.

Gai Shi also frowned. "Jiang Chen, let’s kill him together. This guy is as slippery as an eel. If we delay any longer, he might get away!"

Jiang Chen grinned, slowly raising a hand. He pointed a single finger at the sneering Pei Shenghai and softly uttered two words: "Earth Extinction!"

BOOM...

An unrivaled wave of Divine Thought surged forth. The sea of Divine Thought transformed into a majestic Divine City.

The magnificent and mighty Thunder God City instantly engulfed Pei Shenghai. Its terrifying power, like a world-destroying millstone, ground him down.

"No...!"

Pei Shenghai let out a final, agonizing scream. Like a shattered mirror, he exploded inch by inch, turning into a shower of fragments that rained down from the sky.

Slaying a Human King with a single thought!

Witnessing this shocking scene, Gai Shi and the others were all completely dumbfounded, unable to even speak...