Chapter 1319 to Chapter 1326

Chapter 1319: The Terrifying Rat Flood

The morning sunlight was gentle and enchanting in Great Scarlet Mid Region, but it was tinted with the redness of blood. The arrival of Jiang Chen's mighty army trapped everyone inside the territory like ducks in a barrel.

"Ole Gold, I've raised you for so long, now it's time for your clan to get to work." Jiang Chen summoned the Goldbiter Rat King.

With an uncanny, bloodthirsty smile, the rat king responded, "Young lord, just sit back and watch the show."

"Don't be in such a rush," Jiang Chen admonished. "Take your clan and surround the capital. Anyone who enters or leaves is to be viewed as wanting to go down with the imperial family."

"Young lord, can't we just kill everyone?" The rat king was slightly disappointed. He had hundreds of millions of descendants. It would be quite a feast if they made it into the capital. In fact, they were already champing at the bit to do so.

Jiang Chen shook his head. "Your only mission is to seal off the city unless I say otherwise. Of course, kill anyone who resists!"

His words dampened the rat king's hopes. Reality seemed a bit off from expectations.

"Ole Gold, don't be impatient. You'll have your killing. I'm only worried about indiscriminate slaughter of common people."

Although Jiang Chen had come for revenge, it was directed to those in power and not civilians. Cultivators were a bloody breed, but even so, killing innocents was a sin against the heavens. This was a principle that Great Scarlet Mid Region had also mostly observed when it'd invaded Myriad Domain.

"Hehe, be at ease, young lord. Mortals taste really bland. We only eat cultivators." The rat king chuckled merrily.

"Be off!" Jiang Chen ordered with a wave of the hand.

"Yes, young lord!" In high spirits, the delighted rat king prodded the Millionditch Stonenest. The Goldbiter Rats poured out of it in a torrent.

They used to number more than three hundred million strong, but as the mighty preyed on the weak, only a hundred million or so were left. But those left were far more powerful than before, especially the rat king and a few handpicked elites.

Of course, individual strength wasn't the most terrifying thing about them. With their numbers, no obstacle could stand in their path.

Several dozen miles away from the capital, Goldbiter Rats surged towards the city walls from every direction. An ominous carpet of rats writhed in a radius around the capital. Just a glance at the dark, squirming flood was enough to scare someone out of their wits.

The Jiao brothers looked at each other, their astonished eyes hiding a hint of fear. They'd been lucky when Emperor Pillzenith hoodwinked them into attacking Sacred Peafowl Mountain. They might have ended up as rat food even without the offense from the wandering great emperors.

But for the Peafowl Guard and other subordinates that Jiang Chen had brought on the campaign, their scalps tinged with numbness at the sight. Even if they knew the rats were on their side, their blood still ran cold at this chilling spectacle.

As the core area of the empire, Great Scarlet's capital was tightly guarded at all times. In the currently tense atmosphere, defenses at the city's four gates had been further strengthened.

At the southern gate, a guard captain asked his vice-captain, "What the hell, do you hear something?"

The vice-captain listened carefully and then nodded. "I think so. It sounds like rumbling drums? Are we under attack?"

"Drums? Impossible! Do you think we're in a battlefield?"

"What is it then?" The vice-captain froze. "It's coming closer and closer. It sounds like an earthquake. What's going on?"

They could feel the ground shaking under their feet now. The vibrations weren't big, but the tremors were particularly intense. If felt as if the earth had ruptured somewhere far away and the fissures were creeping closer and closer.

"Go check it out!" The captain shouted with a frown. "Brothers of the third city battalion, listen carefully! We're entering emergency mode!"

"Hurry, tell the brothers at the inner gates to be prepared!"

The captain shot forward while issuing commands. As the leader of the third battalion, he had to take the lead and scout the situation.

After a few leaps, he landed on an elevated spot and gazed into the distance. He almost lost his footing when his eyes focused on the source of the tremors. He stiffened as if struck by lightning. He stared incredulously at the… something surging and roiling from the distance. He couldn't distinguish what it was yet, but it was surely some sort of monster that was coursing their way like a river crashing through a broken dam.

At this rate, it would reach the city gates within a quarter hour.

"What!? Is that a beast tide?" The captain regained some lucidity after momentary stupefaction. He locked his eyes forward, afraid to move forward. "Wait, something's not right. We've never weathered a beast tide even with all the mountains in the area. A tide would also have to pass through many places before reaching the capital, so we should've received ample advance warning."

As it rumbled closer, he finally managed to discern the nature of the torrent.

It was indeed beasts.

They didn't look very big, the largest ones were human-sized at most while the smallest ones were the size of a foot. Each of the monsters had a tail and sharp teeth. Their fur was as smooth as a mirror. Their advance wasn't fast, but… there was so many of them that a glance at their density was enough to kill someone with a phobia of dense crowds!

There were simply too many of them! A single look prompted shudders of horror.

"Rats! It's rats! How can that be? I've never heard of a rat tide ever happening in Great Scarlet. Is it a sign of great changes afoot? Are more and more strange things going to happen?" The captain didn't linger any longer and sprinted back. "Hurry, have someone inform the higher-ups. There's a rat tide incoming, it'll wash over us within a quarter hour!"

"Rat tide? Captain, could you be mistaken?"

"Stop the bullshit and just go!" The captain roared like a rampaging lion. "Call anyone you can, put in a request for the highest level of alert. This rat tide will swallow the capital whole if we don't stop it!"

Although skeptical, the soldiers didn't dare waste any time after their captain's urgent yell. They snapped to solemn attention. The vice-captain volunteered. "I'll warn our brothers in the other battalions. Captain, our gates are tall and sturdy, they can withstand anything as long as it's not those people from Veluriyam Capital."

"Cut the crap! Sturdy gates and thick walls won't be enough. Hurry up or nothing will be left alive in the city in three days!"

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the vice-captain immediately made for the other gates.

"Rat tide coming! Rat tide coming! Cultivators, be ready for battle! Any civilian who can help, please do so. If you can't, go back home and stay there! This isn't an exercise! I repeat, this isn't an exercise! Rat tide alert! Rat tide alert…" The vice-captain hollered warnings as he ran.

Those on the busy streets looked at him like they were looking at an idiot. However, many became worried when they saw his appalled face. Someone suddenly yelled. "Everyone be quiet. I think I hear something!"

"Ah, is it just me or is the ground shaking?"

"I can hear it, it's like an avalanche. Is it really a rat tide?"

"Oh no, a rat tide is coming!"

Fear and panic were the most infectious of diseases. In seemingly a few breaths' time, they spread throughout every nook and cranny of the capital, leaving chaos in their wake.

The vice-captain had finished relaying the news up the chain of command. Step by step, the information reached higher and higher in the upper echelons of the capital.

"Grave news, Your Majesty. A rat tide has been spotted at the the southern gate."

"Bad news, Your Majesty, the northern gate has also noted a rat tide."

"Rat tides incoming at the eastern and western gates as well. We're completely surrounded, there's simply too many of them. They'll reach us in five minutes!" A torrent of bad news filled the emperor's ears within the palace.

The immensely irritated ruler suddenly shot to his feet and smashed his teacup. "Rat tide? How can a rat tide materialize out of nowhere?"

Understanding flashed through Old Guo's eyes. He ventured, "Your Majesty, there's never been a rat tide in Great Scarlet history. It must be Veluriyam Capital… They're already here."

Before the emperor could reply, a menacing voice boomed in the air above the capital.

"Attend, people of the Great Scarlet capital! A debt must be repaid, a grievance must be avenged. This young lord has come today to settle a score with the Great Scarlet emperor. Innocents will not be harmed. You'll be safe as long as you stay home. But if you choose to side with the tyrant, I will turn this place into a ghost city with a snap of the finger!"

Chapter 1320: First Blood With the Crown Prince

The voice belonged to Jiang Chen, of course. Using the dragon roar art, his voice was a clap of thunder and bolt of lightning, heralding the dignity of a god descending amongst mortals, the presence of a sovereign who ruled over life and death.

He wasn't boasting in the slightest. A single command from him could drown the capital in an ocean of blood and a pile of corpses as tall as a mountain. He could have every single living soul put to the sword.

Jiao Yun added at the end of Jiang Chen's declaration, "The young lord of Veluriyam is benevolent, but he holds your lives in the palm of his hand. If you give aid to the tyrant, your capital will suffer the same fate as Myriad Domain's six great sects!"

Though the commoners had been largely ignored when Great Scarlet invaded Myriad Domain, almost all of the higher level cultivators were slaughtered. Those lucky enough to live were sold as slaves. Most of the six great sects were massacred to the last, with only a few being enslaved. The remaining fifth and sixth rank sects didn't escape grim fates either. Great Scarlet had even killed many wandering cultivators in their bloodlust, uprooting sects and factions entirely while leaving the completely mundane kingdoms alone.

"Palace Head, please say a few words." Jiang Chen had brought the survivors from the Regal Pill Palace with him on this campaign.

Palace Head Dan Chi nodded. "Emperor of Great Scarlet, if you're a man, atone for your crimes and don't drag your people down with you! You were happy to be the Eternal Celestial Capital's dog for the sake of your ambitions. You repeatedly invaded Myriad Domain, ending up destroying my sect and murdering my disciples. Today is the day when the remnants of Myriad Domain strike back!"

Roaring his words into the sky above the capital eased some of Dan Chi's depression, though they couldn't erase all of the suffering he'd gone through during these years.

And after that declaration...

The world of cultivators had its own rules, the most primitive of rules. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

The blood that Myriad Domain once shed, Great Scarlet had to repay tenfold!

…...

Almost all of the elites of the imperial family and important ministers were gathered within the imperial palace.

"My dear subjects, the enemy is at our door, so don't hesitate to volunteer any plans. If we survive this, each of you will have a share of the empire's lands." The emperor started making promises he wouldn't honor.

Apart from some military officials, the rest of the ashen scholars and advisors were so scared they had trouble remaining on their feet. How would any of them have any stratagems?

"Your Majesty, fighting to the bitter end is the only choice left. I'm willing to personally lead eight thousand men of the Valiant Tigers and charge out. We've trained our troops for so long for an occasion like this!"

This was Captain He of the imperial guards. At seventh level emperor realm, his cultivation ranked amongst the top ten in the Great Scarlet Empire. On top of that, his personally trained imperial guards were adept in military tactics, especially frontal assaults. This was one of the reasons for Captain He's hard-line stance.

Some military officials agreed with him. "Your Majesty, I'm willing to lead a group of deathsworn and fight with Captain He. How many men has Veluriyam Capital brought? A few thousand at most. Our city is home to at least two million cultivators. Emperor realm experts number more than a thousand, to say nothing of the sage realm ones. Don't tell me they won't be intimidated when they see this kind of army charging at them!"

"Your Majesty, this is everything we shouldn't do!" Someone immediately refuted the idea. "Veluriyam's young lord comes fully prepared. The palace's defense formations are the only reason why he hasn't ordered an assault yet. He wants us to lose our composure and rush outside. But if we do so, we'll lose our main force and there'll be no one left to defend the palace."

"Indeed. Your Majesty, our advantage lies with the defense formations. Why should we go out looking for a death match? We don't need to hold on for too long, just until reinforcements arrive."

"Reinforcements? From where?" Captain He shouted angrily. "The weak are fodder in this world. Who would dare send reinforcements against Veluriyam's army?"

"Your Majesty, the Eternal Celestial Capital is the sole reason for the enmity between us and Myriad Domain. Given our close relationship with the Eternal Celestial Capital, how can they not intervene when we're facing annihilation?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, how can they not send help? Are they simply going to wash their hands of this matter?"

"Also, Great Scarlet has the three great sects, a dozen fourth rank sects, and countless powerhouses. Your Majesty should give immediate orders for them to aid the capital. Great Scarlet lives as long as the capital stands. If the capital falls, so does the entire region."

"I agree. Why have we sheltered them for millennia? It's precisely so they will bring some effort to bear at crucial moments. The empire is under attack, so now it's time for them to risk everything for the empire!"

"Your Majesty, we can defuse the crisis if everyone acts together!" The officials weren't yet aware of the three sects' desertion and so created a rowdy atmosphere throwing out a variety of suggestions.

The emperor was livid. Nothing much could be gleaned about these people during peaceful times, but they exposed their true colors in times of real danger. The empire had raised a group of trash!

Jiang Chen's voice sounded again above the capital.

"Emperor of Great Scarlet, the heavens are delivering retribution for your sins. You were so mighty and glorious when you invaded Myriad Domain, so why do you only know to turtle in your palace now? Do you think I won't be able to do anything to you if you remain inside?

"Men, bring them in."

With a mischievous laugh, the Jiao brothers waved their hands to bring forward eight imperial scions in chains. None of them had slipped through the net. They'd either fled back or been captured at the border.

"Your Majesty, please save us, save us!" These imperial descendants wailed as soon their acupuncture points were unsealed.

Only the crown prince remained proud and staunch. His body covered in bruises, his expression dark, he wordlessly watched the princes make disgraces of themselves. Grief welled up in his heart when he saw how worthless these imperial sons were in moments of life and death. These were scions that the imperial family was depending on!

"Heh, Your Highness, you look quite the tough character." Jiang Chen smiled faintly.

The crown prince arched his neck proudly. "Jiang Chen, cease your arrogance! If only the Eternal Celestial Capital hadn't let a dog like you slink away, you wouldn't be barking here today!"

Jiao Yun sent a slap right to the face. "Still running your mouth when you're at death's door?"

A mouthful of blood mixed with broken teeth seeped out from the corners of the crown prince's lips, lending him a hideous appearance.

Jiang Chen glanced at the prince with contempt. "Stop acting like you're the one with a death feud. Whether you beg or continue putting up a front, Great Scarlet needs to pay for what was done to Myriad Domain, and pay with her own blood and lives. As the crown prince, you bear the sins of your entire empire. Who knows, maybe you were among those leading the invasion. You've absolutely committed your share of crimes. Today, you'll be the first sacrifice!"

"Who wants to be the executioner?" Jiang Chen glanced at the Regal Pill Palace's survivors. The Great Scarlet Empire was laden with crimes. Her crown prince had surely committed many as well.

"I will!" Palace Head Dan Chi offered.

The crown prince flicked a glance at Dan Chi. "Are you that survivor from the Regal Pill Palace, the one who hid like a coward during all these years, the so-called palace head?"

Dan Chi felt no anger at the crown prince's haughtiness. He merely fixed the captive with a cold stare. "Who I am matters not. Even if I were a peasant of Myriad Domain, you're ordained to die beneath my blade today!" Dan Chi drew his weapon without further ado.

"Emperor of Great Scarlet, I'll use the blood of your crown prince as the first sacrifice to Myriad Domain's departed!" Dan Chi declared with magnificent confidence.

The crown prince? The emperor blinked, then suddenly shook as the words registered.

The crown prince was the most important piece of his contingency plan. Has he also failed? The emperor could no longer sit still after this enormous blow. "I'm going out!"

Old Guo immediately knelt in front of the emperor. "Your Majesty, you can't, it's too dangerous!"

The emperor seethed with rage. "My son is in enemy hands, I'm going to save him!"

"Your Majesty, you can't! You can't go out no matter what!" Old Guo kowtowed repeatedly. "They want you to leave the palace. Your Majesty, you're the backbone to us all. We can't be certain the one outside is the crown prince, and even if he is, how can he compare to Your Majesty?"

"Don't stop me! No one is to stop me!" The emperor made to walk around Old Guo, but the latter clung to his liege's right leg, imploring, "Your Majesty, please think of the empire, please think of your subjects!"

A miserable shriek came from the sky. "Ah!"

Something snapped in the emperor's mind. How would he not recognize the voice of his own son?

"The crown prince! Where's the crown prince? Give me my son back!" Fueled by anger, he kicked away Old Guo, ready to charge out of the palace.

A thump sounded from outside the hall.

Something had landed — a headless corpse belonging to the crown prince.

Another item fell from the sky.

"Emperor of Great Scarlet, how many sects did you destroy and how many families did you ruin when you invaded Myriad Domain? Did you ever think of their pain? Today, this young lord will teach you a slow lesson in what pain feels like!"

The second item was the crown prince's bloody head. The eyes remained wide-open with disbelief even in death, filled with fear and anguish. Looking into those lifeless eyes, the emperor's vision blurred. Blood suddenly sprayed out from his mouth.

Chapter 1321: Killing With A Borrowed Knife

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

An advance emperor cultivator coughing out blood before trading blows with the enemy?! At this rate, wouldn't they collapse before the first sword was drawn? The meeting dissolved into shambles.

"My condolences, Your Majesty, please take care of your august self!"

"Your Majesty, the fate of the empire rests on your shoulders!"

The officials were panicking. They normally enjoyed the greatest wealth and most eminent status thanks to the imperial system. The imperial family was the core of that system, and the emperor the pillar of the imperial family. Without the emperor, they would lose everything.

But now, thoughts of self-gain were flying out of heads. The enemy was at the gate, and if the emperor toppled over, all would fall with him like dominoes, leaving the ministers helpless wheat to be reaped by the enemy's scythe.

They didn't mind invading someone else and plundering riches for their own selfish desires, but they absolutely couldn't accept the same thing happening to them.

Old Guo scrambled over to the emperor, almost tripping. "Your Majesty…"

The emperor kicked him away again, shouting, "What the hell are you all doing?! I'm not dead yet and I won't die!"

He was pale, but a murderous light glinted in his eyes. That mouthful of blood had actually cleared his mind. The anguish of losing a son had only caused a brief loss of self-control.

"Hear my orders. Activate the defense formations, guard the palace with your lives! We can rise again as long as we weather this crisis!" He stared at the empty sky, his eyes shining venomously into the sky like a viper.

"Little bastard, I'll make you pay a hundred times for the death of my son!" The flames of hatred burned hot in his chest.

Now that he was lucid again, he realized charging out would be suicide. The defense formation and his superiority in manpower were his only advantages.

He could only gamble on House Yan's forefather successfully ambushing Jiang Chen and a rescue from Pillfire and the Eternal Celestial Capital when they received the news.

The Eternal Celestial Capital must have gotten word for quite some time already, but a resounding silence seemed to be their only reply. Thus obviously, no matter how strong they were, they still cowered in front of Veluriyam Capital. Therefore, as long as he could live through this, the emperor was determined to switch allegiances to Pillfire City. Even being their dog would be better than having a weak backer.

"Old fart of a emperor…" Jiao Yun's irreverent voice came from the sky. "They say rulers have hearts of stone. Maybe you can sit still even after watching your own son die in front of you, but I have eight other scions of your imperial family here. Let's kill them one by one and see just how hard-hearted you are, hehe!"

He flourished his blade with a devilish grin.

Another body fell from the clouds, its head landing inside the palace's inner yard. Then another. Each of these imperial sons were of noble birth, so seeing them tumble ignobly down from the clouds, their heads separated from their bodies, made the imperial family restless.

"Your Majesty, those are House Yan's cream of the crop. You can't sit here and do nothing!"

"We have to attack now, or House Yan will face extinction!"

"Your Majesty…" Inside the palace, members of House Yan resorted to any and all sentiments in order to sway their liege. Even the emperor found the emotional pressure from his own kinsmen difficult to bear.

"Silence, all of you! My crown prince and two other princes have already died for the sake of the empire. As members of the imperial clan, don't you have any sense of sacrifice?" the emperor angrily shot back. "What do you want me to do? Trade my life for theirs? Do you want me to die?"

The emperor's anger cowed his clansmen into silence, but they clearly remained recalcitrant.

In the sky above, Jiao Yun could only speechlessly report back to Jiang Chen. He'd killed eight princes by now, but hadn't received a flicker of reaction from Great Scarlet royalty.

"Young lord, this Great Scarlet emperor seems determined to cower and hide. It seems we need to storm the palace." Jiao Yun felt that the easiest way was to just crush the enemy with brute force. He was someone who never failed to avenge a wrong. As a wandering great emperor, he'd always favored the most blunt and straightforward method.

"Jiao Yun, don't look down on them. Great Scarlet is nothing to speak of, but you can tell the palace has a long history and a rich legacy. It has two formations, one inner and one outer. If we rush in blindly, we'll fall prey to them and be forced into a difficult, bloody clash that'll cost us countless lives."

Jiang Chen shook his head after momentary thought, responding after he noted the heavy guard around the palace. "Each one of the Peafowl guardsmen is a brother of mine. Since I brought them here with me, I must bring them back. I would never casually sacrifice my men."

In war, the best strategy was to unravel the enemy's plan. Lives were too heavy a price to pay against a trivial Great Scarlet Mid Region.

Above the clouds, Jiang Chen studied the two formations of the palace. Both were well hidden, crafted with skill and cunning.

"These formations show a clear ancient design. They're too complex for a current formation master to etch. However, simply relying on them won't be enough, and it looks like later descendants haven't maintained them well. Judging from the structures, these formidable formations more than meet the standard for sky rank, but how much of their power these later generations can deploy is another story," Jiang Chen said as he simulated battle outcomes.

"Young lord, why don't you summon the other great emperors in Veluriyam Capital? If they bring their own troops, it'll be easy enough to steamroll them together with Emperor Peerless and Emperor Coiling Dragon," Jiao Yun proposed. He'd also realized they wouldn't be guaranteed of victory it they charged in headfirst.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "No need. These formations are good, but they have many holes. I can unravel them, I just need to make some calculations. Does the imperial family think they can escape from my palm with mere formations? Don't worry. I'll let them experience the dread and despair of someone helplessly waiting for death first."

Jiang Chen sent a secret order to the Goldbiter Rat King. "Ole Gold, have your kin launch a full assault on the city gates. Slaughter anyone who resists!"

He was finally displaying some of his loftiness.

A subordinate reported in, "Young lord, people calling themselves representatives of the Great Scarlet three great sects are requesting an audience."

"The three great sects?" Jiang Chen frowned. He wasn't unfamiliar with them. Those were the three sects he'd run into back on Cloudshatter Mountain.

The three sects were Great Scarlet Mid Region's main pillars. Jiang Chen had already sent Emperor Vastsea and his men to pin them down.

"Let them come." Jiang Chen was about to refuse but changed his mind in the end.

The three great sects hadn't sent their leaders this time, but an elder each instead. These were three crafty persons. Their attitude was exceedingly humble and they offered a grand gesture of greeting at once, kowtowing to the young man. "Young lord Jiang Chen, these unworthy sinners pay their respect."

Jiang Chen nonchalantly sized them up, secretly surprised. All three of them were emperor realm cultivators, albeit initial stage ones. With their age and cultivation, why were they behaving like meek juniors in front of him?

"Have the three of you must have come to sue for peace? Go back and tell the Great Scarlet emperor that only his own life can atone for the destruction of my sect, the death of my sect's disciples, and the ruin of my homeland. Tell him to forget about peace!" Jiang Chen didn't plan on wasting time with them and straightaway rejected their overtures.

"Young lord, you're mistaken. We don't represent the Great Scarlet emperor, only our own sects. We sent no soldiers in the invasion of Myriad Domain. Today, young lord Jiang comes for just retribution in accordance with heavens' laws, so we naturally wouldn't overreach ourselves and try to stand in your way. Our three sects decided a few days ago to seal off our gates, break all ties with the imperial family, and stay out of this dispute. We merely came to beg the young lord not to spread the flames of war to our innocent sects and to spare the common folk."

Beneath the veneer of their dignified words lay nothing more than an appeal to spare them, to not vent his anger on their sects. As to the common people, it was a casual remark that cost them nothing.

"You sealed off your gates?" Jiang Chen suddenly smiled. "Are you burying your heads in the sand?"

The three elders froze. "Young lord Jiang Chen, our sects had nothing to do with the invasion. My lord, please show leniency. We have no other wish but to cultivate in seclusion. We wouldn't dream of biding our time and taking revenge on you in the future."

"You didn't participate directly, but you still bear some of the imperial family's sins. How dare you say you had nothing to do with it?! However, since you want to turn over a new leaf, I can give you a chance. Go back and tell your sect heads to send out all of your elites and attack the palace. This is the only way for you to demonstrate your sincere determination to cut ties with Great Scarlet's imperial house!"

Chapter 1322: The Three Great Sects

"Attack the palace?" The three elders blinked.

Not in a million years would they have imagined this requirement. Since they'd played no part in the invasion, they'd assumed a show of humility would be sufficient to obtain Jiang Chen's understanding and preserve their status in Great Scarlet.

If the imperial clan was outed, the three sects would still be the greatest sects in the region. If the emperor stayed on the throne, he would be too wary of the sects' power to fall out with them. Either way, the results didn't matter.

It was quite a good plan. Only, the young lord had shattered their beautiful dream with a few words, leaving them without a single inch to maneuver!

"Is there a problem?" Jiang Chen's tone grew sharp as an indifferent smile floated on his lips. Trying to be fence-sitters? Dream on!

"Nonono! In fact…"

"This isn't a negotiation. I'm already showing mercy by giving all of you a chance. I came here to kill and exact revenge. Do you think a cheap trick like sealing off your gates would be enough to keep you safe?"

The three elders couldn't repress shudders when they sensed the cold menace in Jiang Chen's tone. How could a young man reportedly not even thirty exude such a terrifying aura?

"Young lord Jiang Chen… You're picking on the wrong target! We had no part in the invasion, so your enmity with the imperial family has nothing to do with us."

"That's right, young lord Jiang Chen. You can ask anyone, they'll tell you we're innocent and didn't send any troops."

Jiang Chen barked a laugh, but his face remained hard. "Innocent? Aren't you factions of Great Scarlet? Even if you didn't participate in the invasion, have you not obtained any indirect benefits? No resources allocated by Great Scarlet? Don't go thinking you can wash your hands of this simply because you sent no troops! If you had, you wouldn't even be standing here right now."

Seeing Jiang Chen's fury, the Jiao brothers also shouted, "The three of you must be blind! Our young lord is already doing you a favor by giving you a way out! It seems you don't treasure his benevolence! You must still be holding some delusions about the imperial family, so you want to sit on the fence without offending either side. Isn't that right?"

"Young lord, no need to waste words with them. Didn't you order Emperor Vastsea to keep an eye on the three great sects? We might as well wipe them out!"

"Agreed. Great Scarlet killed off every sect when they invaded Myriad Domain. They never bothered to ask who did what, so we should copy them, young lord. Why waste your time?"

The three elders paled, but they didn't dare make a squeak. They could only keep their grievances to themselves.

Jiang Chen waved a hand. "I give you half a day. If you don't show me your sincerity in half a day, I'll deem you accomplices of the imperial family!"

His words scared the three elders witless. They could tell Jiang Chen wasn't bluffing randomly. He meant every word he said.

"Young lord Jiang, in that case we'll take our leave and notify our sects."

"Young lord Jiang, please show mercy. We'll convince our sect heads to lay siege to the imperial family, you have our guarantee!"

"Yes! House Yan has oppressed Great Scarlet for too long. They're guilty of untold crimes, it's time to do away with them."

The three sects might be unrivalled in the region, but they were mere babes who'd barely learned to walk in front of Veluriyam Capital. Young men were rash and impulsive. What if the young lord ordered them eradicated in a fit of anger? The prospect was too terrifying for the three elders to contemplate.

The crestfallen three scuttled back to their sects as fast as they could, only to find their territory completely blockaded by Emperor Vastsea's army. People were allowed in, but not out.

"What? He wants us to attack the imperial family?" Sky Eagle's sect head was already frustrated enough by the encirclement. This shocking request added insult to injury.

"Yes, Sectmaster. He said that we can either attack the imperial family and prove our sincerity, or be suppressed."

"How can young lord Jiang be so unreasonable?" the indignant sectmaster complained. "We didn't participate in Myriad Domain's invasion, why is he forcing our hand?"

"Sectmaster, it's too late for that. To be one of the three great sects of Great Scarlet is crime enough. Jiang Chen gave us only half a day. If we don't act by then, he'll order an assault on the three sects."

Sky Eagle's sect head gnashed his teeth. The decision to seal the gates was in fact self-preservation. No matter what happened to the region in the days to come, they could happily wallow in their status of craven cowards. But it seemed young lord Jiang Chen had no intention of letting them do that.

The same news reached the Myriad Buddha Sect and the Scarlet Parting Sect at the same time.

…...

Surrounded by his subordinates and blockading the three great sects, Emperor Vastsea was in high spirits. He'd spent a lifetime fawning over Emperor Shura and all he had to show for it was a narrow escape from death. He was still a sycophant, but just look at his accomplishments now!

"The young lord is truly merciful. I would've destroyed the three sects myself. Why waste time with them?"

He knew that the young lord planned to make the two greatest Great Scarlet factions clash against each other. But it seemed too much of a bother to him. The force he'd brought was more than enough to flatten the sects.

"Great Emperor, there are people here to see you."

Emperor Vastsea was presently stationed near the Sky Eagle Sect. His war plan had been to raze this sect before moving onto the other two. The ones who'd come were Sky Eagle's sect head and several sect elders.

"The sinners of the Sky Eagle Sect are here to pay respect to the great emperor." Circumstances were stronger than men. In front of Emperor Vastsea, the sect head could only be as well-behaved as he could be.

"Senior, my sect is willing to obey young lord Jiang Chen's command and mount an expedition against the cruel tyrant in the name of righteousness!"

He and his men were no fools. They knew that, put bluntly, it was treason for subjects like them to march against the imperial family. It wasn't a reputation they wanted to shoulder, no matter the pressure they were under. They needed a lofty pretext, and what better pretext could they ask for than to rise against a despot?

The indifferent Emperor Vastsea responded, "Our young lord is magnanimous enough to give you a chance. Remember, I can level your sect whenever I see fit, so don't try to hoodwink the young lord and give it your all. I'll be watching you."

Emperor Vastsea was submissive in Jiang Chen's presence, but as one ranked fourth amongst the seven great emperors of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, he was a mythical existence to a trivial Great Scarlet Mid Region.

"We wouldn't dream of it. Please be at ease, Great Emperor. We'll accomplish our mission no matter what it takes."

The other two sects also followed suit in declaring their intentions. In the face of such formidable pressure, their only choice was to attack the imperial family. Fortunately enough, the imperial house had never treated them all that well, making promises by the dozen but never delivering on them, so the sects didn't feel much guilt.

Each sect dispatched three thousand elites who made haste for the capital at Emperor Vastsea's prompting. But when they neared their destination, their blood ran cold when they took in the ocean of Goldbiter Rats. The almost ten thousand cultivators wouldn't even qualify as a snack to these beasts.

But the most shocking was yet to come. The ocean of rats split apart when the three great sects' army appeared, creating a path for them.

Emperor Vastsea snorted. "The time has come for you three sects to show your worth. Follow me into the city and pay your respects to the young lord."

The Goldbiter Rats had occupied the four gates. They were ready to flood into the capital as soon as Jiang Chen gave the word. The capital would be a paradise for them.

"Young lord, your subordinate Vastsea has brought the three sects to meet with your august self," Emperor Vastsea piled on the flattery in an obsequious greeting.

Jiang Chen glanced at the men from the three sects with a small smile. It seems they sent all of their elites this time.

"These crude ones pay their respects to young lord Jiang Chen," the three sect heads greeted.

Jiang Chen waved a hand. "You came right on time. The imperial family refuses to budge even with their backs against the wall. If you want to prove your sincerity, you can be the vanguard. What do you say?"

"We hear and obey, young lord Jiang Chen!" The three sect heads knew they couldn't refuse.

"Go on then. I await your good news," Jiang Chen responded mildly.

The three sect heads shouted, "All of you, look sharp! The imperial house's corrupt tyranny will plunge the region into the abyss. As Great Scarlet's greatest sects, we can't sit by and do nothing. It's our duty to declare loud and clear that we'll excise the malignant House Yan for the sake of our homeland!"

"Understood!"

Chapter 1323: A Terrifying Formation

Great Scarlet Palace was the most well-defended place in all of Great Scarlet Mid Region. It was better fortified than any of the three great sects.

Under the leadership of their heads, the elites of the three sects led a furious assault upon the palace. Unfortunately, their repeated charges against the outer defensive formation failed to make a scratch. In fact, the attacking party suffered multiple casualties due to the traps within the formation instead.

Time passed as the three sects whaled fruitlessly on the high-level formation. As their offense increased, the defense seemed to match. There was a standstill for a brief time.

The three sects had originally intended to attack half-heartedly rather than use their full strength. But when more and more of their elite members died to the restrictions and traps in the formation, their tempers flared as well.

Regardless of the extremes that they went to in their attacks, the defense held. It was as if there were countless palace walls around them; no matter how much they blasted the structure, they couldn't find a way further in.

The restrictions, gouts of flame, and ice arrows dealt a severe blow to the combined disciples' ranks. The three sect heads convened a temporary meeting when they saw that this was so.

"My fellow daoists, we cannot keep going like this. Our elite disciples won't last much longer with this battle of attrition," the Scarlet Parting Sect's head wailed.

"Ah. House Yan has ruled Great Scarlet for several thousand years now. They've surely extorted countless riches from the people. The formation is backed by untold sums of spirit stones." The Sky Eagle Sect's head was also quite upset.

"Not so," the Myriad Buddha Sect's head shook his head. "I'm sure that the formation is a drain on spirit stones, but its strength does not solely come from raw expenditure. There is something ancient and mysterious about it. I'm guessing that young lord Jiang Chen finds it a rather laborious task to deal with it as well. Why were we sent as the vanguard otherwise? At the end of the day, he's using us as cannon fodder to save his own men."

"Shh, quiet down. It'll be big trouble if they hear what you're saying."

"Hmph, what am I scared of?! But it's not like the Great Scarlet imperial family isn't a shining example of honor either. All the trouble we're in is entirely their fault."

"Yes. If they hadn't stooped to becoming the Eternal Celestial Capital's dogs in the attack on Myriad Domain, none of this would have happened."

The three sect heads were huddled in discussion. Thanks to the deafening din of the battlefield, they were certain that the young lord wouldn't hear anything about their conversation. However, they still did not dare to utter a bad word about Jiang Chen. The youth was sufficiently intimidating enough in their hearts to garner unspoken respect.

"That dog of an emperor… is he trying to take a bunch of people with him? His death is assured without a doubt." Huffing, the head of the Sky Eagle Sect grabbed at thin air. A black saber materialized in his hand. "My friends, it may be time for us to join the fray ourselves."

The wounding and loss of their best disciples was making their hearts bleed.

"Alright, let us work in tandem to break apart this outside formation. We'll rip out that tyrannical emperor out and hand him over to young lord Jiang Chen."

"Quite so. Let's get in there!"

The personal participation of the sect heads won them a round of adulation. The morale boost encouraged the three sects' executives to join the fray using a variety of methods as well.

Weapons flew, light dazzled, and radiance blinded everywhere. The immense redoubling of effort created enormous ripples between formation and attacks. The air in the vicinity shook and trembled continuously.

...

Within the imperial palace's inner court, Commander He of the imperial guard stood at the core of the outer formation, observing the crazed offensive from the three sects outside. The commander felt a tinge of wariness when he saw the sect heads join the fight.

A single one of the three great sects couldn't match up to the imperial family. That was an unquestionable truth. The three of them united, however, presented a huge threat to the outer formation given enough time and momentum.

The three sects' concerted strike created a steady stream of minor flaws and holes. Such issues required a continuous supply of spirit stones to repair. The toll on spirit stone stores began to ramp up.

As the force of the attacks intensified, so too did the frequency and size of the damage. The real danger would be when the formation reached a point where spirit stones alone would not be able to sustain the repairs.

Commander He grit his teeth. He squinted at the frenzied sect heads outside, stomping a foot in frustration. "Keep an eye out for me here. I will go report to His Majesty."

"What?" Because the emperor was in the inner courtyard, he was within the inner formation and needed reports from messengers in order to know what was going on outside.

But who would've thought that Commander He would rush back with horrendous news.

"My good Commander He, are you sure that the three great sects are the ones attacking? Not Veluriyam Capital's men in disguise?" Great Scarlet couldn't accept that fact straight off the bat.

"There is no mistake at all, Your Majesty. The three sect heads are energetically leading the charge. They seem to have universally gone mad. We must plan for the worst, sire. I think it's best to send a group of our strongest experts to skirmish with them for a bit. Ideally, we should take one of the three sect heads out for good. How will we scare them off otherwise?" Commander He's face was the very expression of hate.

"I don't think I've ever done wrong by any of them. Why have they gone to the enemy in our time of need? Traitors, cowards, vipers!" Great Scarlet's emperor could barely contain his anger. "Old Guo, take a few royal experts and go with Commander He. Look for a chance to kill them!"

"Yes!"

Old Guo came forward unceremoniously, kneeling to his old master. "Your Majesty, I'm not sure if I will survive this battle. I pray that you keep yourself safe. If I cannot return to serve you, my only wish is for you to keep calm and act in the best interests of the nation." Having said this, he touched his forehead to the ground several times before standing and waving. "We royal experts have ever received a great deal of imperial grace. It's our hour to give up our lives to repay the emperor. Who is willing to come with this old man?"

"I'm willing!"

"I am!"

As the minister of chambers, Old Guo had a plethora of experts under his command. His team was the most intimate, loyal, and powerful group of men who served Great Scarlet's emperor. They'd been brainwashed since birth into their role as the emperor's royal guard. Serving and protecting the emperor was their one and only purpose in life.

Seeing Old Guo and the royal experts leaving so resolutely made even the hardhearted emperor feel a bit guilty. Loyalty was proven only in times of crisis. Adversity was the best flame for testing the devotion of one's retainers.

Aside from Old Guo and Commander He, the rest of his officials were essentially useless. Despite the imperial family's sheltering of so many, a precious few had been able to step forward to give aid.

Great Scarlet's emperor tasted bitterness inside his mouth. He'd always thought that his empire was superbly strong and he himself a capable monarch. That was the reason for his expansionist ambitions, accomplished with an utter disregard for reputation. 'At any cost' – that was his motto!

Therefore, he felt no regret whatsoever for destroying Myriad Domain. Survival of the fittest was the law of nature. Only when he was the prey did he come to realize how cruel that law was.

The once-arrogant Great Scarlet emperor had become a sitting duck. It was his turn to be hunted down at others' leisure.

...

Outside the formation, it had already been more than two hours since Jiang Chen began studying it. He suddenly waved a hand at the Jiao brothers. "Jiao Yun, Jiao Feng, come here. I will teach you a secret method to attack the core of this formation. If you manage to do that, the entire thing will crumble."

Formations were remarkably wondrous things. If one could not penetrate their secrets, a breakthrough would be impossible no matter what. With that precondition however, the threat of the formation itself dropped like a rock.

Jiang Chen wasn't as capable with formations as he was with pill dao. Because of this, he didn't initially have an optimal way to break through the formation at the beginning. Only after watching the three sects' attacks did he manage to gradually figure out its mysteries. Now, he'd finally identified where the core was.

Having found it, he considered the remainder a piece of cake. After all, the Jiao brothers were around. He told the brothers a few things of note about the operation, brightening their eyes in the process.

"Go, but do be careful. Don't make foolish mistakes," Jiang Chen instructed.

The Jiao brothers charged fiercely into the outer part of the formation, orders in hand.

Their descent brought the three sects' heads hurriedly forth. "Great emperor seniors, the palace's defensive formation is extremely difficult for us. We're pouring our all into the assault already, so there's no need for concern. Regardless of how strong it is, we'll find a way to…"

Jiao Yun snickered. "There's no need."

"The young lord gave you a chance merely to test your mettles. It seems that the 'three great sects' aren't really all that impressive. He's not interested in waiting any longer, so that's why we're here. You can bring your men inside after we break through the formation."

"Huh?" The three sect heads glanced at each other, the relief of freedom evident on their faces. They hadn't staked their entire livelihoods on the fight per se, but they had given their all already.

Unfortunately, the results didn't match up to their efforts. They'd managed to damage the formation time and time again, but each flaw was repaired without much strain. Were the two great emperors going to break the formation personally? It would save many of their own from becoming casualties.

Chapter 1324: The Frightening Strength of Great Emperors

"Seniors, this formation is very odd indeed. Terrifying attacks come from it from time to time. Please take care." These words were intended to curry favor with the Jiao brothers, but wandering great emperors such as they hated the most when others doubted their strength.

Harrumphing, Jiao Yun cackled. "You think we brothers are comparable to you wastes of space? Take notes on how we break through the formation."

Having received the secrets of the formation from Jiang Chen as well as a method to break it, the Jiao brothers didn't think much of the obstacle ahead of them. They were plenty strong enough to take care of the roadblock. Even without Jiang Chen's method, there was no question that they had more than enough strength to throw themselves at the formation and brute-force it.

"I'll take the right, brother. You take the left." Jiao Yun called out to Jiao Feng.

The duo transformed themselves into streaks of light, darting toward the formation's flanks. Two masses of burning light, akin to comets, disappeared into the depths of the formation.

Grabbing at the air, Jiao Yun materialized an enormous golden hammer in his hand. He waved the round-headed weapon around like it was a toy. As he turned the handle over in his palm, the weapon glowed with a vivid radiance. It caught the eye like a drift of luminous clouds, marvelous and divine.

"Out of my way!"

The glowing hammer crashed into a certain spot in the empty space with mountainous might.

At the same time, Jiao Feng brandished a similarly blossoming broadsword at another gap in space. The steel carried a light that was almost celestial in nature. He struck with heavenly strength.

"Open up!"

The two brothers guided hammer and sword into the same direction. One was as ferocious as a tiger, the other vigorous as a dragon.

Boom!

The weapons collided upon an invisible, gigantic wall. The impact resounded through the sphere.

In the next moment, reality began to tremble violently. The fabric of space seemed on the verge of collapsing. A powerful turbulence swept about aimlessly, having found an outlet of spreading release. The wind rampaged and howled. Remnants of runes hung in the air, as if rent from a tapestry. They scattered downwards before vanishing.

The runes belonged to the outer formation. The two brothers' robust destruction of the formation's core had demolished the structure entirely. Because of this, the formation was uprooted. Without the foundation, the formation collapsed instantly. The tadpole-like runes dimmed unto nothingness in great swathes.

When the spatial chaos cleared, everyone from the three sects outside the formation was amazed. From the sect heads to the ordinary disciples, everyone watched with mouth agape.

Was this the power of great emperor seniors?

The cultivators in Great Scarlet had heard of great emperor exploits before, but none of them had actually seen such an expert use a powerful method in person.

That was true even with these three sect heads. They'd met great emperors in person before, but they hadn't had the chance to see any in action. They were at a loss for words for very a long time.

"Is an attack from a great emperor truly this powerful?" The three sect heads traded uneasy glances, an indescribable fear creeping into their hearts.

All three men were emperor realm cultivators. Though they didn't seem far from great emperor, the small gap represented the insurmountable difference of a lifetime. Seeing great emperors in action was enough for them to realize that the discrepancy between their two realms was far greater than they'd thought.

Those within the outer formations were even more astonished. Old Guo and Commander He had just been about to launch a sortie against the three sect heads outside when the formations fell.

The offensive formation was attacked just as they were about to charge. They hadn't thought much of it, given the power behind the formation, but the results proved them dreadfully wrong.

The royal experts stood a short distance in from the border of the formation, completely revealed to the Jiao brothers' line of sight. It was an odd and hilarious sight.

The odd part was the discovery that the distance between the the two parties was so short. The hilarious part was that all of the martial experts were dumbstruck despite their prowess.

"What are you three sects waiting for? The formation is broken. It's time for you to fight!" Jiao Yun shouted.

The three sect heads snapped out of their reverie. They'd fought before solely out of compulsion from Jiang Chen. Now, the hatred from suffering casualties at the imperial family's hands was a much stronger motivator.

"Disciples of the three sects, listen up! Follow us in when the order is given. Let us slay the faithless emperor and restore justice to Great Scarlet! The tumor of House Yan must be removed!"

"Remove House Yan from Great Scarlet Mid Region! We must brighten the skies of our region once more!"

"House Yan is the puppet of the Eternal Celestial Capital. Utter fools, every last one of them! They were the criminals responsible for bringing such catastrophe upon Great Scarlet. Our troubles will persist if the house is allowed to live!"

The three sects had thought of these battle-cries long before. These words weren't intended for the imperial family, but rather Great Scarlet's populace. They didn't want to be branded as traitors after toppling the imperial family. Therefore, they had to raise reasonably upright banners to the public.

Commander He's eyes bulged. He brandished the weapon in his hand. "Brave warriors, His Majesty has fed us for many, many years. Today is the day to repay his kindness and defend our nation. Kill these traitors!" Confident in his own expertise, the commander led the charge toward the three sect heads. His cultivation was more than a match for any of the trio.

Old Guo and the royal experts shadowed them, keeping themselves in the proximity of the commander's spearhead to reinforce the charge. The easiest way to rout an army was to take out its generals.

The three sects were led by their three heads. Commander He and Old Guo knew exactly how strong those specific three men were. The commander and the minister had a slight edge over any individual man out of those three.

Though a brawl like this usually went by slightly different rules, they felt that the imperial family had a clear advantage nevertheless. The royal guards were all well-trained, disciplined troops. They were professional soldiers, loyal to the emperor unto death.

Sect experts were strong to be sure, but they lacked the same kind of military expertise. In a large-scale chaotic battle such as this, it put them at a disadvantage.

"Commander He, keep close tabs on the three sect heads. We must take out their leaders first," Old Guo reminded.

Commander He growled fiercely, his eyes radiating a killing aura. "Anyone who kills one of the three sect heads will be rewarded with thirty million spirit stones!"

The heads of the three sect heads were worth more than thirty million for sure. Still, the dangled prize was enough to incentivize the royal guards and experts.

The two swathes of men rammed into each other in pitched battle.

The airborne Jiao brothers crowed from above, trading a meaningful glance. They raised their weapons once more. The round-headed hammer fell like a trailing meteor, drawing a glittering path behind it. It smashed toward Commander He who was in the lead.

"Be careful, Commander He!"

This sudden attack from above panicked the commander. It was a testament to the man's resolve that he quickly realized he wasn't going to be able to evade the attack and so raised his blade to block it. He swiped several streaks of light as a barrier.

"Hmph, a rash attempt to stop the inevitable." Jiao Yun harrumphed, diving down like an arrow. His wraithlike form shot into the commander's close vicinity. With a single grab, he found the other man's chest.

"Piss off!" Commander He was as ignorant as a young ox. He swept his blade toward Jiao Yun.

Steel clashed against hammer, creating a shower of blinding sparks. It was like he'd slashed against solid rock. The other weapon would not budge. In the next instant, the blade shattered into a thousand pieces.

His hilt clattered to the ground. An unarmed Commander He was rendered helpless before Jiao Yun.

"Too weak." Jiao Yun smiled faintly, raising his hand in a casual swatting motion.

Commander He's head went flying from its former perch upon his neck. Like ripened fruit falling from a branch, so too did his head.

A ker-chunk sound was all it took to make the arrogant commander was no more.

All of this took place in the blink of an eye.

Both belligerent parties felt their hairs stand on end. Commander He was one of the top ten experts in the Great Scarlet Empire. How had he lost his head so easily?

"Commander, sir!" The royal guards under his command felt their hearts burst in pain. Their eyes were bloodshot and their lungs burned.

"Avenge the commander!"

"He's too strong. Let's attack him all at once and kill him together!"

"Come on, let's kill him!"

The several thousand royal guards were all proficient cultivators. Their grief at seeing Commander He's death ignited their fighting and killing spirit.

Jiao Yun's eyes were filled with scorn. He didn't bother with a serious response. An mighty backswing brought a mountain of pressure down upon the throng of guards. A smash from the hammer could shatter space itself. These weakling cultivators couldn't survive being clipped by even the edge of such an attack!

Thump. Within a twenty-meter radius of wherever the hammer swept, every royal guard was smashed to smithereens by the weapon's radiance. Blood and gore flew everywhere. They didn't have time to so much as scream before the hundred-odd cultivators at the front perished. No corpse was left intact.

"Leave some for me, brother!" Jiao Feng was not to be outdone. He swooped down as well, pouncing toward Old Guo's direction. His eyes were keen enough to tell him that the old man was the other leader.

Chapter 1325: Inside And Outside the Formations

Jiao Feng's strength wasn't any lower than Jiao Yun's, so he was keen for a piece of action when he saw his brother slaughter to a heart's content.

A formidable aura suddenly assaulted Old Guo, locking him tightly in place.

Apart from House Yan's forefather, no other imperial expert would dare say they could be assured of victory against Old Guo. In fact, he might be a little stronger than both Commander He and the emperor. But even so, the minister's entire body was spasming uncontrollably like a rabbit caught in a hunter's trap.

The formidable aura of a great emperor imprisoned him like an invisible cage, leaving him powerless to resist. He couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried.

"Jiao Feng, keep this old man alive!" Jiang Chen suddenly transmitted from far away.

Old Guo's head was moments away from being squeezed into paste, but Jiao Feng immediately stopped at Jiang Chen's order. He lifted Old Guo like an eagle grasping a chick.

At Jiang Chen's side, Emperor Vastsea rubbed his hands together, eagerness written all over his face.

"Young lord, let this subordinate charge in and kill them all. What do you say?" He was a little jealous of the Jiao brothers showing off their might. He was confident neither of the two could match him in strength, so he wanted to use this opportunity and score some merit before the young lord.

"Don't be anxious." Jiang Chen surveyed the situation with keen eyes, his mind alert.

How many wars between planes had he seen in his previous life? No one could question his level of discernment. Judging by the clear layering of the palace's defense formations, he could see they weren't as weak as he'd imagined. Hence, he was in no hurry to show his hand.

Emperor Vastsea had trouble holding back his impatience, but since Jiang Chen told him not to be anxious, he dared not be rash.

"Young lord, I've brought the old man. How do you want to deal with him?" Jiao Feng dragged Old Guo in front of Jiang Chen, a wide grin eating his face.

Despair flashed through the minister's face. He shook his head with helplessness and closed his eyes to wait for death.

"Old man, why are you playing dead? Do you think it will protect you from the young lord?" Jiao Feng shouted.

Old Guo sighed dejectedly. "The victor is king. Now that I've fallen into your hands, what's there for me to say? Simply keep in mind that while you might extinguish Great Scarlet's imperial family today, someone stronger than you will extinguish your Veluriyam Capital in the future. The heavens are fair, they will deliver just retribution for your sins."

"Tsk tsk, you have quite a tough mouth on you, old dog!" Jiao Feng sent a small amount of force inside Old Guo's body, making the minister feel the pain of a million bugs gnawing at him. Old Guo couldn't help but groan with pain.

"Jiao Feng, don't bother. There's no need to torture him," Jiang Chen calmly said.

Jiao Feng gave an uncanny chortle. "Hehe, young lord, he's one of those self-conceited types who think they can look down on others just because they've lived longer. He'll keep on babbling if we don't smack him some."

Old Guo shouted in pain. "Kill me if you must. Don't think for an instant you'll make me kneel or beg for mercy!"

Jiang Chen applauded with a smile. "Not bad. Who knew I'd find someone with a backbone in Great Scarlet? I thought everyone in your empire was a coward who can't face his responsibilities, just like your emperor. Old man, you have some mettle."

Old Guo snorted.

"What was it you said earlier? The heavens will deliver just retribution? Brilliant words. Sadly, you're a frog in a well and know nothing about the laws of the heavens." Jiang Chen's tone was cool and detached. "So-called retribution is punishment against those who have sinned. Destroying Myriad Domain, slaughtering countless cultivators, ruining their legacies... all those are things that go against the heavenly principles. Just retribution is what's happening right now to your empire. This campaign of mine is a righteous one to exact revenge, eliminate evil, and administer justice. Everything is in accordance with the ways of the heavens. Not only I won't incur their wrath, they will even bless my undertaking!"

On Divine Abyss Continent, no one was more qualified to remark on the heavens than Jiang Chen.

"So start talking, what trump cards are your emperor hiding?" the young lord calmly asked.

Old Guo laughed like a madman. "Jiang, you're too naive. Do you think I'd be afraid of you at a time like this? Want to pry information from this old man's mouth? Keep dreaming!"

Jiang Chen couldn't help but laugh when he saw the old man's earnest appearance. He threw a leisurely glance at the palace, a lazy smile on his lips. "Old man, do you think I'm powerless against this insignificant imperial palace of yours?"

Old Guo stayed silent as if he hadn't heard anything, his face unyielding, his eyes tightly shut.

"Jiao Feng, pass on my command. Have Emperor Peerless make haste and come here. Emperor Coiling Dragon is to personally handle the borders in his stead."

"Understood." Jiao Feng immediately left to handle the business.

Hearing the two words "Emperor Peerless," Old Guo's hunched body shuddered in spite of himself. He knew that Emperor Peerless, one of the six titans among wandering cultivators, was a formidable cultivator in his own right.

"Young lord, this old man's temperament is like a stone in a latrine, hard and stinky. Why don't we just kill him?" Emperor Vastsea suggested.

"There's no rush." Jiang Chen chuckled leisurely. "This old man must be one of the emperor's confidantes. I'll give him an opportunity to witness firsthand how insignificant their formations are in front of me."

"Hehe, how could these trivial Great Scarlet formations be an obstacle for a wise formation master like the young lord? Is Great Scarlet relying on these formations to safeguard their miserable lives? What wishful thinking!" Emperor Vastsea laughed out loud. "A mere formation can never shoulder the fate of an empire!"

Most of the experts Commander He and Old Guo had brought out of the palace had already fallen to the siege and Jiao Yun's rampage. Surrounded on all sides, the surviving force was in a dire predicament, their demise imminent.

Jiao Yun was staying out of the fight now and had his hands together behind his back. As a great emperor, it was beneath his dignity to participate in a chaotic melee like this.

The shrieks of pain gradually receded. Troops from the three sects gnawed away at the remaining pockets of resistance, wiping them almost to the last.

Inside the palace, the court was caught up in utter chaos. A simple slap had sent Commander He's head flying. Old Guo couldn't withstand a single bout and was now captured. One blow had been all it took to break the outer formation. Most of the officials were scared stiff.

"Your Majesty, Commander He died in combat while Old Guo has fallen into enemy hands. Your Majesty, the imperial guards and palace experts we sent out have been almost entirely exterminated by the three sects!"

"Your Majesty, the enemy is on the verge of attacking the inner formation. Please issue your orders!"

"Your Majesty…"

The emperor swayed on his feet at the barrage of bad news. Both Commander He and Old Guo were amongst the most powerful cultivators in the empire, but they'd stood no chance whatsoever against the Veluriyam powerhouses. Such a wide disparity frightened the emperor greatly.

He hurried to the rear yard and stopped in front of a door. "Forefather, Commander He and Old Guo have been killed in combat and the outer formation is broken. The enemy is unstoppable!"

The forefather's voice filtered through from the secret chamber. "Keep your composure! I'm almost done with my preparations. I've already taken a look at Jiang Chen. His cultivation might be high, but it's only emperor realm. The genuine threat isn't that kid, but the great emperors at his side."

The forefather's voice was cold. "I must make certain I can capture him before acting. Any failure would spell doom for the Great Scarlet Empire and House Yan."

The emperor was on tenterhooks, a cat on a hot tin roof. The outer formation had crumpled easily like a sheet of paper. How long could the inner formation resist? Could it really withstand the enemy's assault? These questions were too frightening for the emperor to contemplate.

"What are you panicking about? I really wonder how you've stayed on the imperial throne for so long given how easily you lose your composure." The forefather's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Yes." The emperor didn't dare say anything. The forefather was the only remaining hope.

Just then, the stone doors to the secret chamber opened. The forefather walked outside.

"Come with me, we'll go to the edge of the formation and take a look at how the battle is going." Worthy of a man who'd accumulated sharp wisdom throughout his long years, the forefather's impassive face was a picture of serenity. It was impossible to guess from his expression the imminent peril they were under.

Standing close to the formation's border, the ancestor gazed at the situation at large. It was one of the advantages of the formation. One could observe what happened outside, while those on the outside couldn't distinguish the circumstances inside. The emperor stood beside his senior, looking like a stooge.

"Forefather, these three sects are turncoats. The food they ate, the resources they used, everything came from us. How dare they help outsiders against the imperial family!" the emperor complained, his teeth clenched with anger.

"Hmph, most sects are ungrateful and disloyal things, they can't be relied on. It's one of the reasons that we of House Yan have always looked to consolidate our own power. Strength is the only thing that matters in this world." The forefather quietly snorted.

"Forefather, these two men over there are incredibly strong. When the outer formation fell, Commander He and Old Guo died in their hands."

"Hmph, the Jiao brothers." The elder sneered. "This Jiang Chen is quite something. What trick did he use that wandering great emperors like the Jiao brothers and Mo Wushuang show such unfaltering obedience?"

"The enemy brought a bunch of great emperors, isn't that bad for us?" It seemed near impossible to ambush Jiang Chen with so many masters present.

"Hmph, what are you worried for? I have my own plans. The only thing you need to worry about is how to delay these people. Leave the rest to me."

The emperor's face burned hot at the admonishment, yet he didn't dare show any temper in front of the forefather.

"Go, increase the inner formation to its highest level," the old man ordered.

"Understood." The emperor could only obey.

"Other than that, did you find anything good when you invaded Myriad Domain? Maybe keepsakes? Keepsakes belonging to the dead would be best. Use them to provoke that Jiang Chen and disturb his mentality," the ancestor ordered again.

Chapter 1326: The Four Great Emperors Assembled

"Young lord, why do we need to wait for Emperor Peerless?" Outside the palace, Emperor Vastsea fidgeted left and right, eager as he was to lead his elites and raid the imperial clan.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "What do you think about this formation?"

"Your subordinate thinks that with the strength of us great emperors, sheer force will be enough even if there are some gimmicks to it. Wouldn't that be easier and more satisfying?"

Jiang Chen responded with a small smile, "If that's what you think, then the imperial clan will probably be delighted. This formation is special, you see. Even great emperors might be trapped if they try to force it open. It won't be lethal, but it'd still be dangerous."

"Oh?" Emperor Vastsea was a tad skeptical. Could a trivial region have such a mighty formation? As a long exalted powerhouse in Veluriyam, even an Upper Eight Regions first rank sect wasn't much to him, to say nothing of the trivial Great Scarlet.

"Young master, is this formation really so peculiar?" Vastsea couldn't help asking again as he carefully studied the design.

"I'm certain it's an inheritance from ancient times. The imperial palace itself must also have been rebuilt on top of ancient ruins, so its layout enhances the formation. Its effect isn't limited to simple confusion, it can also trap and kill. This is an ancient composite formation of remarkable power. If you make careless use of brute force, there might really be something hidden in its depths to make you great emperors suffer."

Jiang Chen might not fear Great Scarlet's cultivators, but he dared not look down on its ancient legacies. Ancient formations, ancient methods, and anything involving the ancient times was to be taken seriously, because things had been quite different during the ancient era.

Upper Eight Regions might not have been mankind's core area back then, and Great Scarlet might not have been a backwater region. And even if Great Scarlet had been a comparatively remote area, inheritances from that era were strong enough to be a menace for current experts.

Vastsea's contempt vanished somewhat when he heard Jiang Chen's words. The young lord already inspired deep veneration in Vastsea, but that veneration was nowadays combined with great trust in his judgment.

Even Emperor Shura had been forced to yield in front of young lord Jiang Chen. It was impossible for Vastsea not to have faith in someone like this.

The outer formation's battle finally abated an hour later. With their superiority in troops, the three sects slaughtered the last of the imperial guards and palace experts.

"Young lord, everything's settled here. Should we storm the palace ourselves now, or should the three sects continue to be the vanguard?" Jiao Yun came back to report, the three sects' sect heads in tow.

Pained expressions appeared on the three sectmasters' faces when they heard Jiao Yun. It wasn't that their sects had suffered disastrous losses, but they were exhausted from the fighting and had indeed lost quite a few men. If they continued as the vanguard, it wasn't out of the question that they might be annihilated during the assault against the inner palace's formation.

"Heh, the arduous fighting has made the three sects weary. To have them charge the formation now would be no better than sending them to their own death." Jiang Chen glanced at the three sect heads with a smile. "Don't worry, I've seen your sincerity."

The three leaders were comforted by Jiang Chen's words. A strange idea even flashed through their minds, that this young lord wasn't as frightening and unreasonable as they'd imagined. At the very least, he was showing some consideration for them instead of forcing them to their demise.

"Take a breather. I'm still counting on your sects to handle the mopping up after we break the inner formation."

The sect heads nodded, beaming with delight. The breaking of the formation was the part they dreaded, not the killing. A fight pitting man against man, the glint of blades and the shadows of swords, the cutting of flesh and the spraying of blood, those were things they could see.

What they feared were formations. They had no experience dealing with formations and could only batter with brute force, a method that was both ineffective and certain to require a heavy cost in lives. Hence, all three of them sighed in relief when they heard they would only be required for the mop up.

The imperial clan was an arrow at the end of its flight. As long as the formation broke, the combined force from the three sects was certain to wipe it out.

A ripple suddenly appeared in the void inside the formation at this moment.

Someone shouted. "Jiang Chen, you little lowlife from the Regal Pill Palace! I have no idea what underhanded tricks you used to latch onto Veluriyam. But no matter what airs you put on, you're nothing more than a stray dog, so why do you come and bark at our doors?" The voice was filled with exaggerated derision.

Jiang Chen frowned while Vastsea and the Jiao brothers seethed with anger.

"Young lord, these scum have no manners. Let this subordinate of yours lead a group of elites and storm them. I'll cut off that dog emperor's head!" Emperor Vastsea once again urged Jiang Chen to battle.

"Young lord, I'll go!" Jiao Yun was even more direct.

"Hmph, do they think they can anger this young lord with these clumsy methods?" Jiang Chen smiled with indifference. "The more they act like this, the firmer my determination to induce a bloodbath." His tone was impassive, but a foreboding, murderous aura exuded from his entire being.

"Jiang Chen you little whelp! Take a good look, these are things we looted from the Regal Pill Palace. We robbed this from the Regal Pill cultivators we killed. Aren't you quite the wild thing? Then why don't you keep at it? Come here and take those things back if you dare!"

"Also, your Regal Pill Palace had quite a few female disciples. Hehehe, we turned all of them into slaves for our imperial family. I can't begin to describe how amazing it feels to enjoy them… Hahaha, I wonder if there's a relative of yours among them?"

There was unexpectedly more than one voice provoking Jiang Chen. Their tone was incomparably vulgar and impertinent, like street gangsters hurling abuse at each other.

The Regal Pill Survivors couldn't endure it any longer. Fists were clenched, eyes glowering with anger.

Jiang Chen had no relatives in the Regal Pill Palace, but these survivors did. For that reason, the provocation didn't anger the young lord, but it fanned the rage of those survivors as they recalled their past grief.

"Senior brother Jiang Chen, these bastards are truly lawless. What are we waiting for? Let's charge in and capture all of them, then crush them into a thousand pieces!"

"Right, these scum are worse than pigs. Our anger can't be appeased if we don't rip them to pieces!"

"Senior brother, just give the order! We'll have no regrets even if we die in battle!"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "The one they're provoking is me. I'm not angry at all, so why are you all getting worked up?"

Palace Head Dan Chi added, "Shut your mouth, all of you. Your senior brother has always acted prudently. He knows what to do, why are you so anxious?"

All sorts of provocation sounded from inside the formation in an unending stream, the voices using every trick in the book.

Old Guo also sneered. "It turns out the young lord Zhen whose prestige shakes the entire world is nothing more than a coward without balls!"

Jiang Chen glanced at the old man with a contemptuous smile. "Are men of the imperial clan all so idiotic?"

Two figures them quickly approached from the rear at this time. Jiao Feng had finally arrived with Mo Wushuang.

"Young lord, am I late to the party?" Emperor Peerless asked.

""Not at all." Jiang Chen smiled and pointed at the formation. "You four great emperors, take a look at this formation. It can't appear any more ordinary, but it's been crafted according to techniques inherited from ancient times. Drawing support from the local terrain, this combination of heavenly order, earthly layout, and human formation is a rare sight.

"The four of you must attack from all four directions. You need to coordinate your efforts and disrupt the formation's internal cohesion together. To break it open, you must break all four of its gates. Otherwise, breaking one gate, two gates, or even three gates will be futile, because this formation has an incomparable ability to regenerate itself. That's already brilliant in itself, but it becomes astonishing and when combined with the terrain.

"Emperor Peerless, take some elites and raid the eastern side.

"Emperor Vastsea, take some men and batter the formation from the west.

"Jiao Yun and Jiao Feng, you're in charge of the north and the south.

"I'll coordinate the four of you. Listen to my orders, I'll communicate with you through my consciousness. All of you must obey my words without hesitation and act in tandem. There are four gates inside this formation linked with each other. The only way to break through is to destroy all four gates at the same time and prevent them from reinforcing each other."

Jiang Chen wasn't being an alarmist.

He hadn't thought much of the formation at first, but he became more apprehensive the longer he studied it. He didn't have the slightest doubt that a single great emperor blindly charging in would more likely than not be trapped inside. Without special means of survival, they might even perish inside.

When Old Guo heard Jiang Chen's plan, his indifferent face instantly became deathly pale. He naturally knew where the crux of the palace's inner formation lay. Judging from Jiang Chen's method to cope with it, it seemed the young lord had entirely seen through its core as well. It meant the palace's final barrier was in grave danger.

Old Guo panicked. If not for his whole body being restricted, he would already have shouted at the top of his lungs and warned the men inside the palace to be careful and to make contingency plans. Unfortunately for him, he was restricted and powerless to disclose any information.

"These four sub-formations follow the principles of water, fire, wind, and lightning. All of you need to be careful. Don't let your focus waver for even a second," Jiang Chen admonished again.

"Understood." The four great emperors grew grave when they heard Jiang Chen's repeated warnings.

"Brother Dragon, provide support for me from the shadows. Don't reveal yourself, act as my eyes and ears. Does that sound good?" Jiang Chen transmitted silently to Long Xiaoxuan.

"Hmph. Kid, you're pulling all the stops for a trivial Great Scarlet. If you'd taken all the great emperors in Veluriyam with you, you could have spared yourself the effort and just rolled right over them," Long Xiaoxuan lazily mocked.

"Haha, Brother Long, who will defend Veluriyam if every great emperor came here? Just get ready, we're breaking the formation soon!"

In fact, Jiang Chen had no desire to drag things out. He wanted to finish things as soon as possible. But he had to exert every last precaution when facing this formation of surprising might.