Chapter 1933 to Chapter 1940

Chapter 1933: Stunning News

Chu Xinghan was rather demure when he entered Jiang Chen's room. He didn't know what he was supposed to do or how to react.

Jiang Chen smiled as he looked over his old acquaintance. "Brother Chu, it seems you've advanced since our last meeting on Eternal Spirit Mountain. After you left with Elder Shun, I didn't expect to see you again here."

"You…" Chu Xinghan trembled. Astonished, his eyes glazed over as they fixated on the other man. For a time, he couldn't even speak.

"You're… Jiang Chen? And you're Miss Huang'er?" Having followed Elder Shun for many years, Chu Xinghan realized the truth after a moment of lucidity.

"Indeed, it's us. How have you been, Brother Chu?" Jiang Chen made an effort to speak as calmly and softly as possible. He knew that Chu Xinghan was very stressed right now.

After a long period of shock, Chu Xinghan finally came around. "Never in a million years would I have expected to see you here, Brother Jiang." He smiled wryly. "Miss Huang'er, I've heard about what happened to House Yan after coming here to Myriad Abyss. If I may ask, how is my master now?"

Chu Xinghan had always wanted to go there to see for himself, but he remembered Elder Shun's instructions. He was not to do so until he reached mid empyrean realm. Though he was a very loyal person, he could not disobey his master.

Yes, his current cultivation put him at the top of the human domain, but it wasn't worth much in Myriad Abyss.

Even third-rate factions here wouldn't spare him a second glance. Empyrean realm was the most basic of achievements. It was difficult to get anywhere without first attaining that requirement.

Chu Xinghan's strength had increased quite rapidly over the past few years. Given his origins, he owed a lot to Elder Shun's painstaking guidance.

Of course, none of the sixteen kingdom alliance geniuses lacked talent. Rather, they lacked someone to show them the ropes, as well as an environment and resources to grow with.

When Chu Xinghan had found a new master in Elder Shun, the elder had helped him rebuild his constitution and meridians. He wasn't much different from a Myriad Abyss genius now. That was why he had reached peak great emperor in the first place.

It would have been almost impossible for him to get to his current level otherwise. Even if he had, he would've spent more than ten times the time to do so.

"Elder Shun… his cultivation was crippled by the house." Huang'er sighed softly. She was saddened whenever she mentioned this. The elder's suffering had largely been due to her.

"Don't worry," Jiang Chen smiled. "Elder Shun is doing well now. Last time I visited House Yan, I brought him to the Eternal Sacred Land to help him recover. He should be as good as new in a few years – better than ever, in fact."

"Really?" Chu Xinghan was delighted. "Master is alright, then?"

"I would say so, yes," Jiang Chen nodded.

Tears welled up in Chu Xinghan's eyes. Though he'd been considered a genius in the Purple Sun Sect, he had not been happy there. His travels with Elder Shun had been filled with much more joy in comparison. The elder had given him many things: tutelage, guidance, and care.

He had felt a paternal warmth during his time with the old man. From that time forth, he treated the elder as his own grandfather. He had cultivated like mad the past few years so that he might rescue his master one day.

Alas, this wish had always been limited by his cultivation.

Thus, he was very excited to hear that his master had already been freed.

Once Chu Xinghan recovered himself, he and Jiang Chen exchanged stories of their respective histories. The young man had heard a great deal about Jiang Chen's exploits elsewhere, but his status as a wandering cultivator had prevented him from picking up on too much. Most importantly, he had lain low all this time in an effort to stay hidden.

His master had told him upon their departure to be careful. If House Yan found him, he wouldn't be able to escape.

His indignant outburst had only been due to the Blue Eagle Guard's contempt. Without Jiang Chen, he would've died here.

Their reminiscences elicited a wave of thoughtful sighs. From start to finish, Chu Xinghan didn't ask after the Purple Sun Sect one bit. He was wise enough to know that it was too small to have survived the calamity.

He didn't feel much for its destruction, anyway. Any lingering affection had long disappeared.

After all, he had almost died at the hands of his peers. Without Jiang Chen there to save him, he would be long buried.

"Brother Chu, we're going back to Eternal Divine Nation tomorrow. Come with us. Elder Shun will be very happy to see you again."

"Of course! I feel the same way," Chu Xinghan replied elatedly.

Indeed, his heart had already flown there when he heard that Elder Shun had regained his freedom.

"Brother Jiang, why not leave right now? I heard that there've been some changes around here in Bluesmoke. They seem to have found a new backer. Some say they've been motioning to create a new divine nation here, one to rival the Ten!"

"What did you say? A divine nation, here on Bluesmoke?" Jiang Chen frowned. "Does Bluesmoke have the strength and resources?"

He knew better than anyone where the Ten Divine Nations had come from. They'd inherited heritages from the ancient demon-sealing war. Having always been a second-rate faction, was Bluesmoke daydreaming when it made a claim like this?

His brows remained furrowed when he thought of the implications of this.

"Maybe this is a smokescreen?" Huang'er laughed. "We know of their mediocrity firsthand."

Jiang Chen did not agree. "The times are different. Myriad Abyss – no, Divine Abyss in general – is in the midst of chaos. Drastic changes are taking place all over. It's hard to say that that isn't the case here."

Huang'er nodded a little at his analysis. Her encounter with the imperial family a few years ago had reflected their inability back then, but things could definitely be different now.

Chapter 1934: Looting With Abandon

If Bluesmoke really hadn't seen any changes whatsoever, why would the Blue Eagle Guard have been so overbearing? They'd always been rather high-handed, but not nearly to the same degree.

Jiang Chen sank into some reflection at the unexpected news.

He wasn't going to just leave though. He was no coward. Furthermore, he didn't believe that this would be the end of it.

Yes, he'd taught a painful lesson to the Blue Eagle Guard. He'd even captured Commander Yan. However, he had a few things to ask Sister Liu, the manager of the large ancient jade store.

He suspected that he'd been sold out. The Blue Eagle Guard had come to this inn precisely because of his ancient jade. This entire elaborate show was the result of their greed. Why else would they go to so much trouble just to arrest a criminal?

Lying in ambush outside the inn would give them a much better chance of catching someone!

After a bit more thought, it was definitely blatantly obvious. By now, it was almost daybreak.

"Brother Chu," Jiang Chen declared, "I'm not the type of guy to leave right now. I'll only do so after everything is appropriately dealt with here. Come with us. Don't be afraid."

Chu Xinghan had witnessed Jiang Chen's abilities with nothing short of awe, and finding out that this was in fact an old acquaintance had doubled it. There was no reason for the young man to refuse.

No more Blue Eagle Guards came. The inn wasn't brave enough to confront him either, and the wandering cultivators were content enough to leave him alone.

Jiang Chen and company left only when the sun was high in the sky.

When they came to the store he'd visited yesterday though, it wasn't yet open. Jiang Chen snickered. He could afford to wait.

After a bit more than an hour, all the other surrounding stores had opened for business. This one was the only of its fellows that remained resolutely closed.

"Hmph. Trying to hide from me?" Jiang Chen sneered. He was even more sure that the person he was looking for had a guilty conscience. At this point, he could dispense with courtesy.

Walking up to the door, he pushed at the air with both hands. The restrictions blocking entrance disintegrated like paper and glue; utterly destroyed within a moment. There was nothing to stop him from entering forcibly.

The neighboring stores peeked their heads out at the violent gesture. This store was one of the largest stores in Miracle City, and did a lot of business everywhere. In fact, it often stole customers from its competitors

As wealth often drew ire, staff from neighboring stores watched the show with some schadenfreude instead of offering any help. It seemed that the victim of the apparent robbery in progress had made too many enemies with its arrogance.

To have it burned down or smashed to smithereens would be the best thing in the world. Then, all its business would trickle away to the other stores. There was a ton of profit to be made here!

Shoving past the door, Jiang Chen picked up a chair and sat down in the very center of the store.

A few ordinary associates ducked out fearfully from the corners. Jiang Chen knew there were people inside in the first place. He snickered as he looked them up and down. "What? You don't have the courage to open your doors today?"

The employees collectively paled. They glanced at Jiang Chen as if he was the grim reaper. In particular, they avoided making any eye contact whatsoever, almost as if they were worried that he would eat them alive.

"Tell me, where is your Sister Liu?" Jiang Chen stated callously.

"Sister Liu… she has business elsewhere. She left overnight and won't be back anytime soon," an employee stuttered out.

"Really?" Jiang Chen's smile was scornful. "And here I am waiting for an explanation. So she's decided to hide, has she?"

"No, no, you misunderstand, dear customer. Sister Liu was getting the stones together, but something urgent came up that needed her. Unfortunately, we have to give up buying your ancient jade." The employee who answered was nervous, but remarkably kept up the lie.

Jiang Chen wasn't going to believe such hogwash. "Maybe a three-year-old would believe you," he chuckled. "Here, I'll give you thirty minutes. If she doesn't show up in that time, you can't blame me for taking a few… less-than-friendly measures."

The staff member felt his heart pound. "Honored customer, I'm telling the truth with every word. Sister Liu really can't come back so quickly. Please have mercy on us."

"Are you sure she won't be able to come back within thirty minutes?"

"Definitely not," the employee stated readily.

Jiang Chen chuckled again. A strange grin crept over his face. "So you don't want to give me a proper answer then. Well… allow me!"

He quickly poked his fingers at all the employees around him. They were instantly incapacitated. Jiang Chen began to rob the store blind. He put all the jade he could see into storage.

"Ole Gold, send out your children and harvest anything you can find. All of the hidden vaults and traps, both above and below ground. Leave nothing uncovered!"

The Goldbiter Rats were quickly mobilized like a swarm of locusts.

Robbery hadn't been Jiang Chen's original intention. If Sister Liu had given him an explanation, even a false one, he wouldn't have been able to do much without evidence to the contrary.

However, if she was hiding from him, that was another matter. Clearly, she was being shamelessly dishonest. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him to hold back.

There was no doubt as to the Goldbiter Rats' efficiency. As befitting of one of the largest shops in Miracle City, the amount of jade and spirit stones in its stores dazzled even Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen unceremoniously pocketed everything, and took out a portion of the ancient jade to give it to the hardworking rats.

"Ole Gold, you and your brethren should take this jade as your rightful reward. Eat up!"

The employees had been incapacitated, but were still quite lucid. Wanting to weep from the loss, they saw firsthand how quickly the shop was cleaned out.

Even the hidden compartments and areas that they hadn't known about were depleted. Seeing the large amounts of wealth and fortune being looted, the employees knew that this place was done for!

The ones watching the show from outside were mildly worried that they would be plundered as well.

But that didn't occur. The expert meting out punishment was very principled in his refusal to harm innocents.

Chapter 1935: Interrogating Commander Yan

Jiang Chen was quick. In less than half an hour, he'd made a clean sweep of the shop.

Chu Xinghan's jaw dropped as he witnessed the process from start to finish. He'd never known how great it felt to do whatever you wanted in the martial dao world.

Jiang Chen naturally didn't linger after raiding the shop. He boarded Starfate and prepared to leave.

Commander Yan had witnessed Jiang Chen's actions as a captive. He widened his eyes and glared at Jiang Chen after getting into the airboat, his gaze blazing with fury.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Looks can't kill no matter how hard you stare at me, Commander Yan. I'm not afraid of killing you. You're only alive because I don't want to kill you yet. Watch yourself. I may just change my mind because of the way you're looking at me."

"Then kill me," Commander Yan croaked. "I'm not afraid of you."

Jiang Chen shrugged. "I don't need you to be. You're free to keep angering me. Perhaps I'll grant you your wish right now."

Commander Yan may have spoken like a martyr, but in reality, he still dreaded that Jiang Chen might kill him. He was hale and strong, at the peak of his life. He was at ninth-level empyrean and recently acquired a strong backer.

He was just about to achieve great things in Bluesmoke. And yet, he'd met his downfall in this unassuming inn. He couldn't make peace with it. He didn't want to die yet!

Silence stretched on. The commander let out a long breath and said pensively, "You're good and you're not a nobody. If I'm going to lose, I can do a lot worse than losing to you. I don't fear death, but may I first get some answers?"

Jiang Chen smiled slightly. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know who you are so that I may accept my defeat."

Yan Qingsang, who'd been drinking with Jiang Chen, scoffed and piped up, "The Bluesmoke Isles sure are foolish. Which do you think is more powerful, Bluesmoke or House Xiaohou from Eternal Divine Nation? How about the rebels of Martial Divine Nation?"

Yan Qingsang greatly admired Jiang Chen. Ever since meeting Jiang Chen, his life had gone only uphill. He was both grateful and impressed with his brother-in-law.

Although he'd disapproved of the two being together at first, when the entire house had been against the idea, he was the first to give in and support Jiang Chen.

Therefore, he felt entitled to half of the credit for what Jiang Chen had achieved.

His decision to follow his brother-in-law had proven to be wise. Jiang Chen was the reason why he'd ascended to empyrean, and why he kept breaking through.

He couldn't list out all the ways Jiang Chen had helped him.

Commander Yan paused and, as if realizing something, disbelief shot forth from his eyes. He stared at Jiang Chen and stammered, "You… you're the successor of the Eternal Sacred Land, young lord Jiang Chen?"

Jiang Chen didn't answer the question, but instead considered Commander Yan carefully with an impossibly deep gaze. It was as if he was trying to dissect the commander with his eyes.

Commander Yan shuddered under the scrutiny and averted his eyes, not willing to meet it.

On one hand, he'd seen how powerful Jiang Chen's eye technique was.

On the other, he felt exposed when their eyes did meet. It was as if the young man could see through everything and penetrate all of his secrets.

"This is a serious matter, Commander Yan. If you want to live, answer my questions honestly. You may lie and try to trick me, but at the risk of your own life." Jiang Chen smiled like they were simply talking about the weather.

Commander Yan tensed. This was the real trial.

"I hear that the Bluesmoke Isles has acquired a powerful backer and is planning on establishing a divine nation. I'm curious, who is this mysterious ally of yours?"

Jiang Chen's blunt words cut right to the chase. The look in Commander Yan's eyes shifted. Jiang Chen's God's Eye penetrated and locked on the commander's consciousness, making it impossible for him to come up with a lie.

Commander Yan closed his eyes in deep thought, or possibly not wanting to answer at all.

Jiang Chen didn't push. In a mild tone, he remarked, "If I don't get an answer in ten breaths of time, it'll be the end of your life."

His words were threatening, but his expression free of aggression, which further sent a shudder down the commander's spine. He opened his eyes.

"Is that really necessary, young lord Jiang Chen?" muttered Commander Yan.

"Seven," Jiang Chen calmly said.

Commander Yan's face contorted painfully, like he was having a fight with himself mentally.

"Four," continued Jiang Chen.

"Fine, fine," muttered Commander Yan. "I lose. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you. I don't know who Bluesmoke's backer is, but according to His Majesty, it's a divine cultivator, and not just any divine cultivator."

"Divine realm?" Jiang Chen frowned. "How can there be one with the limited foundations in Bluesmoke?"

"I was doubtful as well, but from what His Majesty told me, the divine realm senior is indeed from Bluesmoke. He escaped the Boundless Prison not too long ago."

"The Boundless Prison?" Jiang Chen's attention was piqued. Huang'er too, turned her focus to the commander.

"Are you sure he said the Boundless Prison?" The young lord sought confirmation.

Commander Yan shook his head. "I'm not sure, that's what His Majesty himself said."

The Boundless Prison!

"It can't be!" Huang'er shook her head. "It's a dimension prison with an unbreakable seal. One can go in, but it's next to impossible to get out. Throughout the long history of Myriad Abyss, very few have actually fled from the prison."

"Very few," said Commander Yan, "but not no one."

"Have you met the divine expert yet?" asked Jiang Chen.

"No," Commander Yan said without hesitation. "The senior refuses to meet with anyone but His Majesty. However, I can say for sure that the senior does exist. I've felt his terrifying power before!"

"How terrifying?" Jiang Chen asked faintly.

"I'm not well versed enough to describe it, but the senior must have ascended to divinity for some time."

Chapter 1936: Declaring Fealty

Commander Yan was a rather important individual in Bluesmoke. Though he led only the Blue Eagle Guard, those more influential than him around these parts could be counted on with one hand.

If even he couldn't give much information about this divine senior, then the individual was mysterious indeed.

According to the commander, the god had only come to Bluesmoke in the last half year. That was roughly when Jiang Chen had returned to the human domain as well.

Thus, the young lord had no impression of these events. If he was in Myriad Abyss, surely he would've heard of a divine expert who'd escaped from the Boundless Prison.

"I've been to Miracle City more than once before. Though you were domineering in the past, you've never been so blatantly abusive before. Tell me, is your newfound behavior related to this divine expert? Do you feel that his backing allows you to do whatever you wish?"

It would be laughable if that was the case. Even the most churlish of upstarts wouldn't be so foolish.

Miracle City had a ton of people going to and fro all the time. Just about anyone from anywhere could pass through without much notice – visitors from the Ten Divine Nations included.

This kind of loud, reckless modus operandi only painted a target on Bluesmoke's own head.

Commander Yan looked somewhat sad and upset. Jiang Chen's question cut deeply into him.

"What, you're brave enough to do the deed but not to own up to it?" Jiang Chen sneered.

Ruefulness filled the commander's eyes. "Keeping the truth from you wouldn't do me any good. The divine expert demanded all this of us. After he came to Bluesmoke, the emperor has listened to his every word. The expert said that to create a divine nation, a tremendous amount of wealth is needed. Accumulating it by ordinary means is nearly impossible."

"Is that why you resorted to such underhanded methods to amass wealth?" Jiang Chen snickered.

"Ah, we know that this is the same as killing the golden goose for its eggs as well. Alas, the divine expert's instructions cannot be disobeyed. The emperor doesn't have the courage to defy him."

"Do you?" Jiang Chen smiled coolly.

Commander Yan froze, then smiled with some self-deprecation. "No," he shook his head. Saying this, he immediately glanced in a challenging fashion at Jiang Chen. "Do you?"

Jiang Chen curled his lips. "Do you think that you're representative of the entire world?"

Commander Yan sighed. "You don't understand. A divine senior's strength isn't something that empyrean cultivators can stand against. A god's will cannot be opposed."

"Tch!" Yan Qingsang spat with disdain. "Are you supposed to do anything a divine expert tells you to do? A real man should do what is right, even if it costs him his life to do it. You're no saint, Yan. Don't pretend like you're innocent."

The commander cast an icy glare at the other youth. "And who the hell are you?! I lost to young lord Jiang Chen, but I don't see how any of that relates to you. What right do you have to make these claims?"

Yan Qingsang flared up with anger. He instinctively wanted to walk forward to beat the captive commander, but a little thought revealed that the man was right.

He didn't have the right to shame someone who'd lost at Jiang Chen's hands. That didn't prevent him from huffing though. "Yes, you can ignore my words if you like. However, I'd just like to state that Jiang Chen here is a stark counterexample. House Xiahou and the Martial Divine Nation rebels both had divine experts. The young lord fought them without fear anyway."

"Hmph. Those are big, unsubstantiated words." The commander was clearly doubtful.

"Tsk, tsk. You're still in denial?" Yan Qingsang was furious. "Jiang Chen's loyal companion, the senior Vermilion Bird, is also a god. A sacred beast god… isn't that stronger than any senior you might've seen?"

"The Vermilion Bird is a god?" Commander Yan was stunned. Hadn't rumors circulated that the sacred fowl was only a demigod before?

Were the reports wrong?

If that was the case, Jiang Chen certainly didn't need to fear other gods. A sacred beast naturally had a fighting advantage against humans. Having nothing to say, he wilted rather than press his nonexistent point.

After a long while, he worked up the courage to look at Jiang Chen once more. "Young lord, how do you mean to deal with me?"

Jiang Chen smiled easily. "How would you like me to? If you can't bring yourself to part ways with Bluesmoke, suicide is an open option. I won't stop you."

Commander Yan had no viable response.

"Just tell me if you want me to die, young lord Jiang Chen." He decided on a shameless approach instead.

"I haven't decided yet. I obviously can't just release you, unless Bluesmoke is willing to pay up. Considering that we're already enemies, I doubt that'll happen." Jiang Chen seemed to be talking to himself.

Commander Yan utterly despaired when he heard this. Any ideas he had of going back were crushed.

"Even if I did release you though, do you think your emperor would still trust you the same way he did before? Without your elites, do you think he'll need you like he did before?" Jiang Chen suddenly asked, feigning curiosity.

The commander paused once more to reflect on this. He found it difficult to answer. The emperor always favored new allies and subordinates that were more useful to him. In fact, he was currently acting solely on the advice of the divine expert.

The commander had been an appropriate thug before, so there'd been good reason for the emperor to care about him. But now, he had lost imperial family face as well as all of his elite forces.

If he went back by himself, whether the emperor still wanted him around was a real question. Disregarding the possibility of punishment, it wasn't likely he'd be placed in a position of any importance either.

"Never mind that. Let's decide on things later when I go back to Eternal Divine Nation." Jiang Chen didn't want to think too much right now. "Three or five years locked up will do you some good."

Commander Yan sweated bullets from his forehead. "Young lord Jiang Chen, you might as well kill me instead!"

"So you want to die still?" Jiang Chen blinked.

The commander was very upset. He couldn't settle on one or the other that was in any way favorable to him. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Young lord, I think I am reasonably useful as an individual. Since I can't go back to Bluesmoke, I'd like to make myself useful under your leadership."

Chapter 1937: Sudden Bad Tidings

Commander Yan was a smart man. He'd considered all options and realized that he didn't have any other choices. Returning to Bluesmoke was a no-go. Even if Jiang Chen let him go, would the royal family place their trust in him like before?

Of course not!

So then should he choose a valiant death?

Absolutely not. While that might sound like a noble and righteous idea, Commander Yan wasn't a young man anymore. It wasn't in his blood to be a martyr. The thought of surrendering his life had never even crossed his mind.

That was, unless Jiang Chen was determined to kill him, then he could do nothing but face death.

Since that didn't seem to be the case, Commander Yan wasn't going to single mindedly choose death. The idea of pledging himself to Jiang Chen struck him suddenly, and he followed through on that impulse.

In fact, Jiang Chen had purposefully kept his attitude vague to give the commander an opportunity. It'd be ideal if the commander decided to surrender. If not, he wouldn't push it.

Thus, he wasn't exactly ecastatic by Commander Yan's unprompted forfeit.

He looked at the commander meaningfully and asked with a smile, "Are you sure you didn't make that decision because that's the only way for you to survive?"

Commander Yan shook his head and responded with great conviction, "I'm sure."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked Jiang Chen.

"It's simple. Firstly, I can't go back to the Bluesmoke Isles. Even if I do, I won't be able to maintain my prior status and privilege. Secondly, my ambition was to win glory by contributing to Bluesmoke's establishment as a divine nation and make a name for myself. But I can obtain immediately by surrendering to you, young lord. Thirdly, I'm not ready to die yet. It would be a worthless death."

He'd made his points clear, but Jiang Chen wasn't convinced yet.

"You've got a silver tongue," the young lord said with a smile. "However, if you're swearing fealty to me, you have to abide by my rules. Lu Che and his companions from Warmspring chose to follow me after their defeats as well, but they serve me as slave followers. What of you?"

Commander Yan paused. A slave?

Anger boiled in his heart. He almost blurted out that he'd sooner face death than to take such humiliation, but he managed to stop himself.

He had a feeling that Jiang Chen wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he made such a remark. However, it was very much beneath himself to be a slave.

His hesitation grated on Yan Qingsang's nerves.

"Remember forget your place, Yan! Do you think you have any right to negotiate?" Yan Qingsang snapped. "Haven't you been serving the divine senior like a slave as well? What sets you apart from his puppets? Jiang Chen has found success in his youth. He will ascend to divinity sooner or later. If you become his servant, you'll be one day serving a god. Countless demigods yearned for the opportunity to receive guidance from a divine being. You've been offered the privilege, and yet you hesitate?"

Those should've been Jiang Chen's lines, but Yan Qingsang had delivered it more effectively for him.

It was undeniably tempting. Commander Yan's mental defenses fell apart despite his hesitance. One couldn't fight their fate. His pride didn't allow him to be a slave, but saying no would undoubtedly lead to his death.

Moreover, what Yan Qingsang said made sense. Given the trajectory of Jiang Chen's life so far, the young man was bound to ascend to divinity. It'd be possible then for the commander to receive guidance and help as Jiang Chen's servant.

The last of his hesitation melted away.

"I'm willing to be your servant, young lord Jiang Chen," Commander Yan asserted immediately after making up his mind.

Jiang Chen wasn't at all excited about it, far from it, in fact. His only reaction was a faint smile. "Good, you've made the smart decision. I hope you'll do as you've said and fully honor your choice. One day, you'll realize that this was the best decision you've ever made."

Commander Yan paused. He couldn't picture that future, but the young lord was certainly confident.

After a few days, Starfate entered Eternal Divine Nation.

Jiang Chen and Huang'er were both eager to return. Huang'er especially, could think of nothing but House Yan after hearing the news about the Boundless Prison.

The Eternal Sacred Land was still rebuilding and rejoiced when they heard of Jiang Chen's return. They hadn't heard from him since he left for the Martial Sacred Land.

Everyone considered Jiang Chen the leading figure of the sacred land's younger generation and the hope of their future. Naturally, they all cared greatly about him.

The sacred forefather wasn't in the sacred land, but the first prime and Venerated Elder Ziju were.

After some brief chitchat, Jiang Chen eagerly asked about House Yan.

The first prime was hesitant. "Elder Ziju, Jiang Chen has just returned from a long journey. You should help him recover from the fatigue of travel. This seat has a lot of business to attend to. Please excuse me."

Her avoidance enlightened Jiang Chen that something bad had happened to House Yan.

As he predicted, once the first prime had left, Ziju Min sighed. "Try to remain calm. House Yan… all of House Yan has been massacred."

"What?!" Jiang Chen shot to his feet. "When?!"

"Not long after you left for the Martial Sacred Land. You'd probably just eliminated the rebels by then. I haven't mapped out the exact timeline."

Jiang Chen's mind had gone blank, but Ziju Min's words triggered something in his mind.

"Right after the Martial Sacred Land's rebellion ended?"

"Yes." Ziju Min nodded. "About that time."

"If that's the case, is Elder Yan Wanjun alright?" Jiang Chen didn't really care much about the other members of House Yan, but Yan Wanjun was Huang'er's grandfather.

"Yan Wanjun? He's here in the sacred land with Elder Shun, but he's not in a good place emotionally right now. I don't know if he's heartbroken about what happened to House Yan or something else."

Jiang Chen felt a little better after hearing that Yan Wanjun was safe. That left him with one question: What had exactly happened to House Yan?

Meeting Jiang Chen's questioning gaze, Ziju Min shook his head with a wry smile. "We didn't exterminate House Yan. Neither have any of the factions in Eternal Divine Nation. Rumor has it that House Yan offended a powerful cultivator escaping from the Boundless Prison. That's why..."

Again, the Boundless Prison was involved!

Chapter 1938: The Fall of House Yan

Fortunately, Huang'er and Yan Qingsang were staying in Jiang Chen's residence at the moment and weren't here to hear what Ziju Min had said. Otherwise, Huang'er might not have been able to come to terms with the development.

Thank heavens that her grandfather was safe.

But that didn't make Jiang Chen feel much better. For Huang'er, the family she cared about the most were her parents, who were still in the Boundless Prison.

Noting Jiang Chen's silence, Ziju Min knew that the young man was affected by the news.

After a long pause, Jiang Chen took in a deep breath and asked, "Did the sacred land not realize at all when House Yan was destroyed?"

He might not like House Yan, but that was still Huang'er's family. It was infuriating to have them destroyed right under the sacred land's nose. It had happened while he was away to help the Martial Sacred Land. The Eternal Sacred Land was partially to blame for not paying enough attention.

Of course, this wasn't a good time to point fingers.

Ziju Min sighed. "It all happened very suddenly. The forefather wasn't in the sacred land at that time. When news came that House Yan had been destroyed, the first prime personally led a team to investigate. They arrived to find House Yan already in ruins with no survivors."

"Any bodies?" asked Jiang Chen.

Ziju Min sighed, his eyes pitying. "Almost none that are intact."

"Then how do you know the perpetrator is an escapee from the Boundless Prison?" Jiang Chen questioned.

"Rumors and some of the findings from our own investigation." Ziju Min couldn't give him a full answer.

Jiang Chen was on friendly terms with Ziju Min so didn't push the elder too hard. Besides, the perpetrator must have hidden his tracks well when he annihilated House Yan. It was only natural that the sacred land hadn't reacted in time.

Eternal Divine Nation had just been through a large scale rebellion. Restoration was in order. The sacred land had trouble taking care of its own business, let alone others'.

Jiang Chen asked a few more questions, but the elder didn't seem to know much about the details. Jiang Chen sat with him for a while before excusing himself.

As soon as he stepped into his residence, Huang'er and Yan Qingsang came up to him.

"Brother Chen, are we going back to House Yan now?"

Jiang Chen's heart ached when he saw her eager expression. He struggled to find the right words.

Huang'er was clever enough to note his hesitant look. She paused. "Has something happened, Brother Chen?"

Jiang Chen took in a deep breath. "I'll take you to your grandfather and Elder Shun first, Huang'er."

Elder Shun had settled down in a residence in the sacred land. Hua Ming, the disciple Jiang Chen had taken in back in Bluesmoke, was there as well.

His response cemented Huang'er's suspicion. A hint of sadness tinted her expression. "Brother Chen, is there no news about my parents yet?"

Jiang Chen looked back at her grimly. "Huang'er, Qingsang, something terrible has happened to House Yan."

"What is it?" asked a blank Yan Qingsang.

"I'm sorry. House Yan… House Yan has been exterminated." Jiang Chen wasn't going to keep them in the dark. He couldn't even if he wanted to.

"What?" Yan Qingsang paled. Huang'er staggered backwards.

"Don't worry," Jiang Chen hurried out. "Elder Wanjun is safe. Elder Shun, too."

"What about my father?" Yan Qingsang blurted out.

"Your father? He wasn't in the House Yan home base. He should be fine."

Yan Qingsang's father had long lost his place in House Yan's headquarters due to his limited talent and cultivation. He'd established his own branch of the family elsewhere. What happened to House Yan wouldn't have happened to the subsidiary branches.

There were too many of them to eliminate.

Yan Qingsang and Huang'er calmed down a little once they heard that their closest family was safe.

"Who did it? Any idea?"

Jiang Chen shook his head. "According to the sacred land, it was an expert who escaped from the Boundless Prison. However, this is an unusual situation and there's no concrete proof yet. We need to find Elder Wanjun first and hear him out."

Neither Huang'er nor Yan Qingsang were that close to House Yan, but its fall still hit them hard. Fortunately, those they truly cared about were safe.

The massacre had a serious impact on Yan Wanjun. When Jiang Chen saw the elder, he'd aged visibly, and there was a heavy air around him.

Jiang Chen knew Yan Wanjun had a different relationship with House Yan. At his age, he'd been through a lot more with the family. Its destruction therefore hit him a lot harder and scarred deeper.

As for Elder Shun, he was simply one of Yan Wanjun's aides. He wasn't as attached to House Yan as Yan Wanjun was.

Moreover, the cruelty House Yan had shown him had greatly diluted whatever love he had for the family. He was still affected by its destruction, but he seemed a lot better than Elder Wanjun.

Seeing his grandson and granddaughter put a slight smile on Yan Wanjun's face.

"Elder Wanjun, fate has mercifully left Huang'er and young master Qingsang alone," Elder Shun said comfortingly. "Your bloodline remains intact. There's a spark of hope. House Yan will rise again one day."

Yan Wanjun sighed deeply. "I've done so much and sacrificed so much for the family, but I ended up being exiled. Upon my return, I don't even have a family to go back to. They're all dead. I don't know who I should take my anger out on. I blamed the patriarch for being petty and unreliable, but he died with the house. I can blame him no more. I simply want to know who the perpetrator is. I need to get to the bottom of this senseless tragedy. Who murdered my clan, and for what?"

"Elder Wanjun, we'll get to the bottom of this," Jiang Chen assured. "It's rare for a family to be cruelly massacred for no reason even in the martial dao world."

Jiang Chen had made many enemies since the start of his journey, but he hadn't exterminated a family clan before. One should only focus on those who had wronged him. It wasn't right to target an entire family.

"Grandfather, have you… heard anything about my parents?" Huang'er couldn't help but ask.

She cared more about her parents than House Yan. Since the murderer had something to do with the Boundless Prison, she couldn't stop herself from worrying.

"Nothing yet. The family was trying to rescue your parents, but when I returned, they were already wiped out."

Yan Wanjun was befuddled as well. How did House Yan anger an expert escaping from the Boundless Prison? Was it because of their plan to rescue Huang'er's parents?

Chapters 1939: Inklings of Clues

"Elder Wanjun, have you explored the ruins of House Yan?" asked Jiang Chen.

"I have, but didn't find any clues or hints of note." Yan Wanjun sighed dejectedly.

"Let's go investigate a bit more," Jiang Chen said to Huang'er. "We might make new discoveries."

"Alright!" Huang'er naturally wouldn't be opposed to the idea.

"I'll come as well," Yan Qingsang volunteered.

"And I." Yan Wanjun had gone several times himself without much gain, but he believed that Jiang Chen might be able to find something. After all, this youth was a regular maker of miracles.

Jiang Chen and company departed the sacred land. They arrived at House Yan's ruins in no time at all.

From a distance, the site looked rather desolate. Weeds had already begun to grow in between the broken stones. Clearly, it had been completely abandoned by the passage of time.

Gazing at it from a distance, Jiang Chen felt a mixture of emotions well up within him. House Yan had been a first-rate faction in Eternal Divine Nation once upon a time. Its estate had been as luxurious as any top-rank sect.

All of that opulence was no more, cast aside into the wind.

Sadness filled Yan Wanjun's heart once more upon revisiting the old family site. Elder Shun followed closely behind him. Though the elder was pleased to be reunited with his old disciple, this happiness was dampened by the bleak sights all about them.

Chu Xinghan didn't feel much for House Yan. In his memory, its only role was the culprit responsible for taking his master Elder Shun away from him. Because of this, he had seen it as his foremost enemy. Still, his emotions were affected by the solemnity around him.

Everyone remained silent as they trudged along in the ruins.

Though Huang'er remained impassive at first, the skeletal remains everywhere grieved her. These people had been alive only a year or two ago.

Yes, House Yan had strong-armed her into many things, but there had also been some kind and sympathetic individuals within the family.

Yan Qingsang gnashed his teeth, cursing all the while. He was incalculably furious. Despite his frustrations with his house, he was nevertheless despondent after its destruction. Suddenly, his footsteps stopped in front of one of the skeletons. He bent down and retrieved a pendant.

"This was Brother Zhenhuai's. So him, too…" his voice was extremely mournful. Yan Zhenhuai had been the only one among House Yan's younger generation whom he'd respected.

They had been on reasonably decent relations, a stark contrast to Yan Jinnan and his cronies, who harassed him at any opportunity. Thus, he respected and appreciated the deceased as an honorable rarity among his kinsmen.

The pendant had been hanging off of the skeleton's neck, which meant that the young genius hadn't escaped the massacre either. Yan Qingsang was greatly saddened by this.

Jiang Chen had had a reasonably good impression of the youth too. He became mildly melancholic when demise was confirmed.

Circling the ruins again and again, he furrowed his brow more and more as time went on. After his thoughts came to a head, he returned to the outskirts of the estate and carefully inspected a few specific details.

"Elder Wanjun," he looked toward Yan Wanjun seriously. "Have you noticed?"

"What should I have noticed?" the old man asked in a low voice.

"The entire estate was once sealed off by a powerful restriction. There are traces of it still. It's possible that only a few were responsible for this bloodbath."

"Oh?" Yan Wanjun had far less expertise in formations. "How many were there, do you think?"

"Four or five, no more than that. Only four got their hands dirty, the fifth seems to have been their superior. He barely did any of the work." Jiang Chen noted his finds.

"How did you manage to see all that?" Elder Shun was rather incredulous. To be able to glean so much information from so little was nothing short of miraculous – but then again, the young man before him was a regular with miracles.

Honestly, they'd scrutinized these parts themselves as well, but too much time had passed for them to pick up on anything useful. Yet here Jiang Chen was, firmly insisting that there had been no more than five perpetrators.

Both old men were astonished at this.

"The method of murder and the skeletal evidence shows four killers for the most part. There was another one who was probably giving orders, that would explain how rarely he acted himself."

Though only bones were strewn about, Jiang Chen could nevertheless tell a great deal.

"Are there any other things you recognize? Their origins or identities, perhaps?"

Jiang Chen shook his head, laughing helplessly to himself inside. Expecting those things to remain after such a long time was absolutely impossible. Sure, using residual auras to trace the butchers would've been doable immediately after the fact, but it had been far too long since then. Any clues had long disappeared. Unless those responsible had left any especially glaring flaws, it was largely an impossible task.

Huang'er couldn't bear to see the dead strewn about. "Grandpa," she said quietly, "shall we bury these bodies so they can rest in peace?"

At the end of the day, they'd once been her kinsman. She was kind enough to treat those who had passed with dignity, even those who'd once been responsible for persecuting her and her parents. She didn't want their remains to lay strewn out beneath the sun like this.

"Indeed, they should have been allowed to rest long ago," Yan Wanjun declared woodenly. "I've only refrained from returning them to the earth because I wanted Jiang Chen to investigate the scene for himself."

Jiang Chen thought about it for a second. He'd seen pretty much all there was to see.

"Let's get to it, then," he nodded.

"Should we pick a different place?" Yan Qingsang asked.

"No. Now that House Yan is no more, allow these ghosts to melt into the site of their former home. Even the hall of ancestors has been destroyed. Let them rest with the souls of our forebears." Yan Wanjun sounded incredibly sorrowful.

For the sake of efficiency, the group moved to work right away.

Something suddenly flickered in Jiang Chen's consciousness. He pointed a keen eye into a patch of empty space. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

He placed Huang'er behind himself as he did so, his gaze wary.

Chapter 1940: Four Mysterious Cloaked Men

Jiang Chen's reaction gave the others pause. They quickly realized what his words meant and clustered in his direction in response.

"Are you sure there's someone there, Jiang Chen?" Yan Wanjun asked in a low voice.

The young man responded with silence and a deadly glare towards an empty patch of space. His certainty was quite obvious in his actions.

Sinister laughter sounded from the void.

"Pretty sharp kid. I was rather well-hidden, but you noticed me anyway, eh?" Someone slowly stepped out from the source of the laughter, causing a number of ripples in the dimensional fabric. He wore a brown cloak, but his face was as indistinct as the starry night sky. His actual appearance was completely concealed.

The aura alone of this new challenger was incredibly intimidating. Jiang Chen instinctively assigned grand origins to him. He was at least a demigod, if not a god proper.

The man stood in the air with an insubstantiality that made him seem only half-there.

Jiang Chen's Evil Golden Eye fired an aureate spark that sped through the air like an arrow.

"Haha, trying to use an ocular skill on me, pal?" The mysterious man shook his head. There was a luminous crest before his face, blocking Jiang Chen's optical ray. The two energies collided in a burst of light before dissipating.

Such a splendid exchange captivated Elder Shun and Chu Xinghan. They admired Jiang Chen's skills even more for it.

"Who are you?" Jiang Chen was a little taken aback. His Evil Golden Eye was a commonly used method of his, and it rarely failed to deliver.

Even if he couldn't petrify someone with a single hit, he could at least stun their consciousness, momentarily dazing them. Incredibly, this mysterious man in a mysterious cloak had countered his attack! This was a definite first.

Jiang Chen was hardly discouraged though. His ocular strike had been a test, rather than a full-on assault.

"Haha, who do you think I am?" The man in the cloak had a voice as cold as iron. It was forbidding to hear.

"You must've taken part in the massacre of House Yan!" Jiang Chen shot back frostily.

"Heh, that's not hard to guess." The cloaked man made no effort to deny the accusation.

"You've been hidden here all this time?" Yan Wanjun blurted out in surprise.

The cloaked man laughed softly. "Indeed. I've pretty much been here the entire time. Old Man Yan, you came here a few times, but you never suspected a thing. A venerated elder of House Yan? Not much to look at, at the end of the day."

Yan Wanjun was ninth level empyrean realm. It was incredibly shameful for him to be derided as worthless.

"Why… why did you not kill me as well?" he demanded with some exasperation. "You dared slay the entirety of House Yan, so why did you falter here?"

Despite his sadness, he found this rather odd.

"To do so would be as easy as breathing. You come from House Yan yourself, so it would only make sense… is that what you think?" The cloaked man chuckled. "However, I have my reasons."

"You better give your reasons for killing so many," Jiang Chen stated coldly. "Otherwise, you can forget about leaving today. Call out your companions too."

The man in the brown cloak blinked. "Oh? You think I have friends here?"

"Three more of you," Jiang Chen shot back. "But I don't think you're the lot in charge. Where is your master?"

The man in brown was amazed. Jiang Chen had pointed out many more details than he'd expected. "Interesting, interesting," he roared with laughter. "I didn't expect House Yan to have someone as clever as you. It deserved destruction, but it's not totally worthless at all. Brothers, come forth!"

Three more appeared in the air as his words sounded. They wore cloaks and disguises as well, though in different colors than the brown-cloaked man. One wore crimson, one wore azure, and the last, silver.

They bore different auras as well, enough to distinguish them at a single glance. Regardless of that difference, their cultivation levels were similar to each other.

Jiang Chen supposed that all four were demigods. Four of them appearing all at once was rather astonishing.

Any faction in Myriad Abyss would find it difficult to produce that number at the drop of a hat. Even the ten sacred lands couldn't accomplish such a feat. Moreover, these four had a master!

It was a very good conjecture that the quartet before him and their missing master were the ones that'd been responsible for the massacre.

"Boss, is this kid from House Yan?" the blue cloak spoke up.

The brown cloak, who seemed to be first among his company, smiled. "If I might hazard a guess, this kid is House Yan's son-in-law… the young lord of the Eternal Sacred Land."

Jiang Chen braced himself. These enemies were better informed than he thought. They knew the affairs of Eternal Divine Nation well.

"Oh? Then he's…"

"Shut up!" The brown cloak quickly put a stop to a possible information leak.

Realizing his error, the blue cloak coughed with some embarrassment before quieting down. He wasn't angry about his comrade's rebuke in the slightest.

Jiang Chen was rather curious where these strange cloaked men came from. Their ambiguous secrecy was intriguing.

Yan Wanjun, on the other hand, flared with fury. He glared hateful daggers at the four, ready to pounce recklessly at any moment.

"Calm yourself, Elder Wanjun. None of these four are ordinary cultivators. I reckon they're all demigods, in fact." The young man hastily messaged his friend's grandfather upon seeing the latter's impulsiveness.

Though Yan Wanjun didn't become any less angry, he did feel his mind clear a little. Carelessness against four demigods would only mean defeat for him.

To put it bluntly, he would be more of a liability. If he made a mistake here, he would lose both grandson and granddaughter. There had to be a reason these four hadn't struck him down already, and he needed to find out why.

Cupping his fists, Jiang Chen asked once more. "If you know my identity as well as Elder Wanjun's, you should be noteworthy individuals in your own right. In light of that, House Yan wouldn't dare anger you gentlemen. Why have you exterminated the house, pray tell?"