Chaotic Sword God

1861-1870

Chapter 1861: Benefiting Greatly

"You want to use the lives of your Ling family to exchange for the millions of lives in the provincial city? Haha, you wish," commander Liu Shan stood on the black clouds and laughed fiercely. His cold eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty craziness. He extended a finger, and several strands immediately broke away from the black net that enveloped the entire provincial city. They wounded around several dozen cultivators.

"Ling Mojian, let me repeat myself again. If you want to save the millions of lives in the city, get Ling Hougong to show his ass immediately. I don't have that much time to waste with you. I'll kill a group of people for every day you waste. I'll keep that up until Ling Hougong appears," Liu Shan said coldly. He closed his hand, and the black threads immediately tightened. Like knives, they cut the people trapped in threads to pieces.

The cultivators all cried out miserably. Their bodies were reduced to pieces as blood dyed the streets. Even their souls failed to escape, as the black threads had cut it into pieces, so it dispersed as a result.

All the people of the Ling family watched this happen silently. All of their hearts weighed very heavily.

The Ling family was a mighty clan with an Overgod. With the entire divine kingdom in perspective, they were an existence that stood at the top, yet before the three Overgods of the Empyrean Demon Cult, they were so insignificant. They could not even fight back. They were reduced to sitting ducks.

The people of the Ling family were greatly affected by what happened that day.

However, they could not do anything about it. The Empyrean Demon Cult was just too powerful.

"Doesn't your heart hurt? Fair enough, the people I'm killing have nothing to do with your Ling family. No matter how many of them I kill, it won't hurt your heart at all. Since that's the case..."

Liu Shan looked at the people hiding in the formation. He smiled coldly, and a black sword appeared in his hand. He directly swung it at the formation.

The strike was filled with a demonic aura. It caused the thick demonic clouds in the sky to churn. They seemed to be a part of the sword, so when Liu Shan swung down, it pulsed violently. A black sword condensed from the clouds emerged from the mass, moving with his sword. It landed on the protective barrier of the Ling family with devastating power.

Rumble!

This was a powerful strike from a mid Overgod. It was so powerful that it had surpassed the imaginations of all the people in the province. The protective formation of the Ling family suddenly shattered with a deafening boom.

Powerful energy splayed out, reducing all the building of the Ling family to ruins. Countless people vomited blood as their blood drained from their faces.

A few weaker of the servants directly lost their lives under the powerful pulse of energy.

"I'll kill the people of the Ling family then. I'll kill one every day until Ling Hougong appears," said Liu Shan. He appeared before a God of the clan as if he had teleported and smashed his head to pieces with a palm strike, destroying his soul.

An elder of the Ling family died just like that!

...

The matter of the three Overgods pinning down the Swordseeking province spread very quickly like a storm. Very soon, the news made its way across the entire Divine Kingdom of Pingtian and even beyond that. It caused a huge uproar.

Back to the ninth floor of the royal collection in the royal palace of the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian.

Jian Chen currently sat on the floor. He held an ancient scroll; he was completely absorbed in it. He devoted all his attention to it.

This was the notes on cultivation and the comprehensions of the Laws of the Sword left behind by a Godking who had comprehended the same laws as Jian Chen. Jian Chen was fatally attracted to the ancient scroll. He could not resist his urges at all.

Jian Chen closed his eyes after reading the contents of the scroll. He comprehended the contents of the scroll seriously.

A faint layer of silver light appeared around him. It seemed like Jian Chen was flashing. In particular, when he closed his eyes, he was surrounded by the light. He had a calm expression on his face. It made him seem divine.

Gradually, tadpole-sized sword Qi appeared around Jian Chen. Every single strand was filled with intelligence. They were pure-white and flawless, revolving around Jian Chen slowly.

Clearly, the scroll left behind by the Godking was quite useful to Jian Chen, allowing him to benefit greatly.

Several hours later, Jian Chen opened his eyes slowly. A sliver of understanding appeared in his eyes.

"A late Godking probably wrote this ancient scroll," Jian Chen said to himself softly. He carefully returned the ancient scroll to where he had taken it from before continuing his way through the other books and scrolls.

Jian Chen also remained on the ninth floor for seven days. During that time, he read all the books and scrolls there. He was about to leave.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Jian Chen's eyes narrowed. He discovered an inconspicuous metal box in a corner of the ninth floor. If it were not for the fact he had just happened to glance over, he might have missed it.

Jian Chen hesitated slightly. In the end, he still walked over and opened it. He discovered a thick, ancient book inside as well as a thumb-sized pearl.

"The Smithy Grand Collection!"

Four powerful words were written on the cover of the book.

Jian Chen's eyes lit up when he saw the four words. He had to personally forge the twin swords in the future, so he needed to dabble in forging weapons.

Due to the fact that the swords he forged on the Tian Yuan Continent were not of any particularly high grade and the fact that the sword spirits were there to guide him, he was not required to have much expertise.

However, in the future, the grades of the swords he needed to forge would constantly rise. He would need to have a certain degree of mastery over smithing to forge the twin swords into god artifacts.

Although he could find other people to forge the weapons for him, how would he be able to do that with something as important as the twin swords?

"This pearl should be a memory pearl. Xuan Dou mentioned this type of thing. Memory pearls are extremely tough and very hard to destroy. Normally, they're used to record extremely important things, which are far greater than the things you can find in books or scrolls."

"According to Xuan Dou, memory pearls are extremely rare. Under ordinary circumstances, only experts who rule over a huge area can possess them. It shouldn't exist within the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian." Jian Chen looked at the pearl again. He felt extremely curious.

Fortunately, he had learnt enough about memory pearls from Xuan Dou. He knew the way to use it.

Jian Chen let out the senses of his soul, directing it towards the memory pearl slowly. When the senses approached the memory pearl, a suction force immediately appeared out of nowhere, directly sucking his senses away.

"Teleportation Formations!"

A tremendous amount of information was presented before Jian Chen when his senses entered the memory pearl. To Jian Chen's joy, the information recorded within the memory pearl detailed the method to create teleportation formations.

There were inferior and superiors teleportations formations. Inferior formations could only carry people a short distance.

On the other hand, superior teleportation formations could teleport people to extremely distant places. With the tremendous Cloud Plane as an example, directly taking people from the southern region to the northern region would be no problem.

Let alone teleporting between regions, but even teleportation between planes and worlds was possible, given that the person who wanted to cast down the formation possessed a great mastery of the Laws of Formations.

"Teleportation formations. Hahahaha, I never thought there would actually be something that detailed teleportation formations here. I actually found it here! Fate is in my favor!" Jian Chen could not help but laugh aloud as he held the memory pearl. He was extremely excited.

Ever since he had come to the Saints' World, Jian Chen had never felt so emotional and excited.

This was because the information on teleportation formations tied into just too many things for him. It was even more important than his life, as it was related to his hopes of being able to return home.

Chapter 1862: Saving the Ling Family

Jian Chen sucked in a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his excitement, slowly calming himself down. However, his gaze towards the memory pearl still burned with unconcealable desire.

When he had entered the royal collection, his main intention was to take away three cultivation methods or battle skills with him, which the divine king had given him permission to do.

This was because three cultivation methods or battle skills that were at the level of Overgods was far too significant to the Tian Yuan clan because they were still developing.

After that, he was going to try to benefit through reading and viewing the tremendous number of cultivation methods and battle skills.

However, now that he had accidentally found a memory pearl that recorded the method to create teleportation formations on the ninth floor, it was a joyous surprise.

This was because he could tell with a single glance that the method to create formations within the memory pearl was of an extremely high grade.

Clearly, something as great as this could not be purchased.

Although there were also various formations available on the market, and they could even be found in a few stores, they were pretty much all basic items. They would not be too useful for casting down teleportation formations that could cross worlds.

Jian Chen placed the Smithy Grand Collection aside without any hesitation. He placed all his focus on the memory pearl.

Jian Chen had spent many years back on the Tian Yuan Continent to comprehend teleportation formations. However, he was nowhere close to casting down formations that could cross worlds. As a matter of fact, he probably could not even cast down a regular teleportation formation.

This was because the teleportation formations he cast down on the Tian Yuan Continent initially were more like markers. Their only purpose was to act as a beacon of light in the dark so that he could find his way back.

However, he had still managed to accumulate much experience through the years of comprehension. It had set a solid foundation for him.

It was just like building a tower. Once the foundation was set well, only building the tower above was needed.

Jian Chen was completely entranced by the memory pearl. It made him completely forget about himself. At that moment, he had become completely submerged in the information about teleportation formations. Jian Chen would only be considered to have formally taken a step towards creating teleportation formations after viewing the memory pearl.

A sliver of understanding gradually appeared in Jian Chen's eyes. The memory pearl seemed to have opened a gate in his head, finally allowing him to truly come in contact with another world of comprehension.

Teleportation formations were complicated and profound. Although there were many people in the Saints' World who tried to comprehend them, most of them would remain as beginners. Only a small number of impressive people would accomplish something.

However, Jian Chen already possessed a great affinity for comprehension, not to mention the foundation he had built for himself in the lower world. As a result, Jian Chen only needed a very short time to become well-acquainted with its contents, while other people would need several dozen or even hundreds of years.

By the time Jian Chen made his way off the ninth floor, half a month had already passed.

Jian Chen memorised all the contents of the memory pearl in that half a month. He only needed to actually attempt to create something himself.

He had even memorised all the contents within the Smithy Grand Collection.

Of course, memorisation was only memorisation. There were still many problems to resolve if he wanted to actually cast down a teleportation formation.

Most importantly, he lacked the required comprehension of the Laws of Formations.

The Laws of Formations and the Laws of Smithing were also parts of the three thousand laws. They were just more auxiliary than offensive.

Jian Chen left the royal palace and made his way through the bustling streets by himself. He directly made his way to the courtyard that he temporarily stayed at within the royal capital.

Jian Chen moved extremely quickly. Before long, he returned to the quiet place.

"Patriarch Jian Chen, you've finally come back."

Mo Yan immediately threw down her fishing pole from beside the pool when she saw Jian Chen. She ran over excitedly as joy filled her face.

"Patriarch Jian Chen, you're finally back. You just left sister Xi Yu and me here. We did not even dare to set a foot out of this place because we were afraid that the people of the Yang family would come to find trouble with us again," Mo Yan's excitement vanished instantly when she arrived beside Jian Chen. She made a bitter face and spoke pitifully.

Her face changed faster than someone could change the pages of a book. She was excited just before, yet she had become sad in a split second.

"Don't worry. In the future, Yang Kai won't dare to act recklessly in the royal capital," Jian Chen smiled as he comforted Mo Yan.

Xi Yu also emerged from her room. She said sternly, "Patriarch, during the time you spent at the royal capital, a big matter has happened in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. The Empyrean Demon Cult has sent three Overgods to deal with the Ling family. They've pinned down the entire Swordseeking province."

"What did you say?" Jian Chen's face changed. He stared at Xi Yu closely and said, "When did this happen? What's the situation with the Ling family now?"

"It has already been half a month. During that time, the three Overgods killed quite a few people from the Swordseeking Province. Even the Ling family has lost a few experts." Xi Yu was rather stern as she continued, "During this period of time, they've kept the Ling family trapped, killing one of their member every day. Now, four Gods have already passed away as well as over ten Deities. If Ling Hougong still doesn't show himself, they'll keep up the killing until the entire Ling family or even entire the Swordseeking province is dead."

Jian Chen's face immediately sunk when he heard how the Ling family had actually lost so many Godhood experts. A vicious light flickered through his eyes.

"It has already been half a month. Hasn't the divine king his majesty and the Grand Imperial Protector done anything? There are so many Overgods in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. Why hasn't anyone of them gone to save them?" Jian Chen growled.

Xi Yu shook her head. Deep fear filled her eyes, and she said, "They're from the Empyrean Demon Cult. Who would be bold enough to offend them? Whether it's the divine king, the Grand Imperial Protector, or the other Overgods in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian, none of them have responded to the matter at all. Looks like they don't plan on helping the Ling family."

"But that's expected because once they interfere, it would be equivalent to standing up to the Empyrean Demon Cult. With the Empyrean Demon Cult's strength, they only need to send out a few more people and the people interfering would be done for."

"Even the divine kingdom's entire strength is not enough to hold back any one of the armies of the Empyrean Demon Cult."

"Didn't the divine king say that there's no need to fear the Empyrean Demon Cult? Since there's no need to fear them, why doesn't he help the Ling family? Even if he can't do anything because of some reasons, the Grand Imperial Protector can, right?" Jian Chen murmured to himself softly. The light in his eyes flickered with uncertainty.

"Or should I say, the true intentions of the divine king is for me to oppose the Empyrean Demon Cult so that he can draw out the person who supports me against the Empyrean Demon Cult?" Jian Chen wondered inside. He could not help but think of fairy Hao Yue and Tong Tian. He had not seen either of them in many years.

Even Jian Chen was uncertain whether he and fairy Hao Yue were only partners for a deal, or if they had gradually formed a friendship.

However, there was no doubt about fairy Hao Yue's power. She was basically confirmed to be a Primordial realm expert.

As for Tong Tian, he was only on friendly terms with him at most. They were not even close friends. As a matter of fact, Jian Chen did not even know who he was before he had appeared in Godking Duanmu's dwelling.

"Other people don't know about my relationship with Tong Tian. They only saw Tong Tian save me while being protected by a Godking. Maybe they thought of something because of this and mistook it as me being close to Tong Tian or something. Or maybe they think I have a great background or something..."

"If that's the case, the divine king really did mean it when he said that there was no need to fear the Empyrean Demon Cult. Or is he doing what I think he is trying to do, getting me to stand against the Empyrean Demon Cult on purpose so that he can draw out fairy Hao Yue and Tong Tian through me and use them to stand up to the Empyrean Demon Cult?"

For the time being, Jian Chen was rather uncertain about the divine king's intentions.

However, determination flooded Jian Chen's eyes soon after, "Regardless of what the divine king is trying to do, I have to stop the Empyrean Demon Cult from devastating the Ling family."

Chapter 1863: Slaying Three Overgods with the Sword (One)

"Patriarch, what're you planning to do? Are you going to help the Ling family? That'll be provoking the Empyrean Demon Cult and becoming enemies with them..." Xi Yu was greatly surprised. Her eyes widened as she stared at Jian Chen in disbelief.

To her, saving the Ling family would only end up dooming himself.

Although the patriarch was very powerful, no weaker than Yang Kai who was known as the greatest expert below Godking in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian, there were a total of three Overgods who had trapped the Ling family. They might not be the patriarch's opponent even when combined.

However, even if the patriarch could kill them, doing so would be equivalent to becoming enemies with the Empyrean Demon Cult.

Without a single doubt, that was just asking the patriarch of the Tian Yuan clan to die.

Jian Chen stared at Xi Yu and said sternly, "I have my own plans for this matter. Xi Yu, take Mo Yan with you and leave the royal capital immediately. Rush back to the Tian Yuan clan. I have a task for you."

Jian Chen got a brush and some ink. He wrote down several dozen materials in a hurry before passing it to Xi Yu. He said, "Once you get back to the clan, tell all the elders to find all the materials on the list as soon as possible. The more the better."

Xi Yu knew that Jian Chen had made up his mind. There was nothing she could do to change the mind of an Overgod once they had decided on something. As a result, Xi Yu could only sigh gently inside. She left the royal capital with Mo Yan and the list of several dozen materials.

Jian Chen did not remain around for long after Xi Yu and Mo Yan's departure. He found his orientation and shot off to the Swordseeking province.

High in the air, Jian Chen felt like he still was not moving fast enough. He formed a seal and used the Linear Lightning Release, shooting off at unbelievable speeds as a bolt of lightning.

He could only maintain the Linear Lightning Release for a very short amount of time, so his speed would only be increased for a short instance every time he used it. However, he was still able to traverse an extremely great distance every time he used it.

Jian Chen used the Linear Lightning Release several times so that he could reach the Swordseeking province as soon as possible.

...

Back in the royal palace of the divine kingdom, the divine king and the Grand Imperial Protector were currently playing chess extremely leisurely in the pavilion within the royal gardens.

"Jian Chen has already left the royal capital and is currently heading towards the Swordseeking province. Just as I had expected, he would go help out the Ling family." The divine king was confident.

The Grand Imperial Protector raised his head when he heard that. He looked at the divine king and said, "Pingtian, there's just one thing I don't really understand. Didn't you say that there was no reason to fear the Empyrean Demon Cult a few days ago? Since there's no reason to fear them, why didn't you let the commander of the Royal Divine Army, Xuan Dou, go handle the three Overgods?"

"Even if you're worrying that the three Overgods have some trump card and that Xuan Dou is not there opponent, why didn't you send me instead? With my strength, I think I can handle a few Overgods no matter what their trump cards are without experiencing any threat at all."

The Grand Imperial Protector continued from there, "Or in other words, the Empyrean Demon Cult should be feared? You're using this opportunity to lure out the people behind Jian Chen so that you can use them against the Empyrean Demon Cult?"

The divine king shook his head, "It's true. Right now, there's no need to fear the Empyrean Demon Cult. The people from the empires really have been paying attention to the movements of the Empyrean Demon Cult. I can already vaguely sense several powerful senses of the soul sweep by in the past few years. They're basically all from the Primordial realm experts of the empires."

"The reason why I didn't get you to act is because both you and Xuan Dou represent the royal family of our Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. Once you do move against them, the Empyrean Demon Cult will believe we are acting against them."

"In order to protect their dignity, the Empyrean Demon Cult will probably invade our Divine Kingdom of Pingtian even when they know they'll come into conflict with the empires from how the Empyrean Demon Cult has been doing things."

"But Jian Chen is different. His Tian Yuan clan hasn't even existed for a century. Strictly speaking, he's not even a part of the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. It's extremely likely that we can avoid a war with the Empyrean Demon Cult by using him against them."

The Grand Imperial Protector's eyes also lit up with that. He added, "Moreover, there's the Primordial realm expert who has recovered their body and the young maser of a great clan who has a Godking as a bodyguard behind Jian Chen. If Jian Chen really kills the three Overgods, they'll have to consider it carefully if they want to move against him. They would have to see whether the lives of three Overgods are worth running the likely risk of offending a Primordial realm expert and a powerful clan."

The divine king said, "The reason why there is no reason to fear the Empyrean Demon Cult is because the empires will stand forward and stop them. As for the three Overgods who have trapped the Swordseeking province, only Jian Chen can kill them if they must die. It's inappropriate for other Overgods to take action."

"Pingtian, when you suddenly mentioned the Empyrean Demon Cult to Jian Chen, did you know already that the Empyrean Demon Cult would come to find Ling Hougong?" The Grand Imperial Protector asked.

The divine king smiled, neither confirming or denying the Grand Imperial Protector's thoughts. He pointed at the chessboard, "It's your turn."

...

The patriarch of the Ling family, Ling Mojian, and all their elders stood within the clan with sunken faces. Aside from them, almost all the clansmen of the Ling family had already become pale-faced. They were ashen and filled with despair.

Liu Shan and his two early Overgod deputies stood on the black clouds. They hung in the sky as they stared down coldly.

Even though this was the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian, the three of them were completely fearless. They did not believe that anyone would come and stand in their way.

This was because the ninth army of the Empyrean Demon Cult was currently in the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons, which was quite close to the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian.

A black thread suddenly extended from the huge black net that engulfed the entire province. It directly wrapped around an elder of the Ling family before wrenching him high up in the sky.

The Gods of the Ling family were completely helpless against it. There was nothing that they could do because it was Liu Shan taking action.

In the past few days, Liu Shan had already used the same method to brutally kill several elders of the Ling family.

"It's another day. I'll kill this God today. Ling Mojian, if your ancestor returns, you'll still be able to save this person. After all, my original intentions weren't to kill off the Ling family," Liu Shan said coldly.

Ling Mojian shut his eyes painfully. He was filled with sorrow. He had waited for so many days, but the divine kingdom had not sent any reinforcements at all. He knew that the Ling family was doomed.

However, Ling Mojian did not blame anyone. As a matter of fact, he was expecting this. After all, they were the Empyrean Demon Cult.

Before the Empyrean Demon Cult, even the entire divine kingdom would probably be unable to stop any of their armies.

Chapter 1864: Slaying Three Overgods with the Sword (Two)

"Ling Mojian, it looks like you've chosen to abandon the God again," Liu Shan stood on the black cloud and said coldly. Soon afterwards, he sighed gently and shook his head in regret, "As an elder of the Ling family, even if you haven't made any meritorious contributions to the clan, you've worked hard. But in the end, the Ling family mercilessly abandons you. They could clearly help you and save you, but they just choose not to."

"Looks like the Gods of the Ling family are not worth a single dime to the patriarch. What a pity, what a pity indeed."

As he said that, Liu Shan gradually tightened his hand. The black thread around the God immediately began to tighten gradually along with Liu Shan's movement.

Like a knife, the threads gradually sliced into the God's flesh. Blood immediately poured out, dyeing him red.

In the blink of an eye, he had become covered in blood. It was a horrific sight.

Clearly, Liu Shan could cut the God to pieces with his control over the black threads.

However, he had never planned to deal with the God instantly. He purposefully created this heart-wrenching scene for the Ling family to see, attacking them psychologically.

"Ling Mojian, I'll give you another half a minute. If you contact Ling Hougong, or if Ling Hougong appears, I'll spare this person. Otherwise, he'll definitely be reduced to an incomplete corpse," Liu Shan said coldly. However, he felt rather worried and annoyed inside.

So many days had passed already, but he still had not completed the mission he received from commander Yan Wuming. If he wasted too much time, he was afraid he would displease the commander.

"If you want to kill me, then kill me. I'm not afraid of dying. Patriarch, never contact the ancestor. The ancestor can't come back. He can't appear here. As long as the ancestor is alive, he can rebuild the clan even if the clan ceases to exist," the God who had been wrapped up in the black thread called out furiously. He felt no fear for death at all.

"Do you want to die?!" Liu Shan's face sank. The killing intent in his gaze towards the God increased.

"Argh!" The God produced a chilling wail. The black threads had already cut deep into his flesh, reaching his bone. He could even feel all his bones break. Even his skull had shattered.

All the people from the Ling family shut their eyes. They were unwilling to witness this scene. Sorrow filled all their faces and even some of the elders began to shed tears of sorrow.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the distance. In the beginning, it was very soft, just like a mosquito. However, it grew louder at an unbelievable speed. Towards the end, it was thunderous, creating an echo through the surroundings.

The terrifying sound wave even seemed to form visible ripples, expanding and actually causing the entire city to shake slightly.

Before the countless people in the city could react, a resplendent streak of light suddenly appeared in the distance. It shone with great radiance, illuminating the world like the scorching sun.

The light was simply too bright. The black clouds formed from the demonic aura that had swallowed up the entire Swordseeking province even paled before it.

The streak of light moved extremely quickly, jetting over from the distance. In just a flash, it crossed an extremely great distance and arrived above the Swordseeking province. It did not slow down at all, directly ramming into the black net that had covered the entire province.

Rumble!

With a deafening sound, the black net that Liu Shan had cast down directly tore open, forming a huge hole that was three hundred meters across from the streak of light.

The streak of light was unstoppable, directly falling towards the provincial city.

The black net was a medium quality saint artifact. Liu Shan had refined it, so it was bound to his life. As a result, when the black net was damaged, Liu Shan suffered as well. His face paled in a single instance, and he produced an extremely deep grunt. His body also quivered.

Liu Shan was injured while the God from the Ling family bound by the black threads had avoided a calamity. He directly fell out of the sky and was caught by another God.

The light vanished in the provincial city and revealed a young man in white robes. He only seemed to be in his twenties.

The young man was the patriarch of the Tian Yuan clan, Jian Chen!

Jian Chen had dispersed the light around him, so he seemed like an ordinary person. He stood in the air and stared at the three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult in the distance. His eyes were cold.

All the Gods of the Ling family were stunned when they saw Jian Chen in the sky. Their emotions became mixed. There was surprise and joy as well as sighs.

The sighing elders were naturally the people who did not wish for Jian Chen to come, as the Tian Yuan clan would offend the Empyrean Demon Cult if he did.

"It's..." An elder could not help but cry out. However, right after he let out just a single word, Ling Mojian firmly shut his mouth.

"We're a part of the ninth army of the Empyrean Demon Cult. We directly answer to commander Yan Wuming. Who are you, sir? Do you plan on becoming enemies with our Empyrean Demon Cult by interfering?" One of Liu Shan's deputies said coldly as he glared at Jian Chen.

"You've gone too far, Empyrean Demon Cult. You're killing a bunch of people who are only Gods at most despite being Overgods. Since you like killing the weak so much, I'll show you how it feels today," Jian Chen said coldly. His face was completely sunken, and he was filled with killing intent.

The senses of his soul had already surrounded the entire Swordseeking province. He discovered that aside from the Ling family, over a thousand people had died to Liu Shan's hands as well. Every single death was extremely horrific, with the deceased having been carved to countless pieces.

With a thought, the high quality saint artifact, the Startling Rainbow sword, appeared in Jian Chen's hands.

Although he could kill the three Overgods without even using the sword given his current strength, he wanted to finish the battle fast.

The face of the early Overgod who had spoken before sank. Just when he wanted to say something else, Jian Chen moved like lightning.

Jian Chen suddenly appeared before the early Overgod, and the Startling Lightning sword stabbed towards his forehead.

As Jian Chen struck out, his entire presence underwent a drastic change. His presence surged as his entire body seemed to fuse with the sword. He controlled the Laws of the Sword just like a god of the sword.

The early Overgod's face changed drastically. He could feel Jian Chen's strike lock onto his presence. Every inch of space around him seemed to be filled with invisible sword Qi, which actually made him feel like he could not dodge.

In this moment of life and death, the early Overgod made a rapid response. He used his demonic arts, and the demonic aura around him surged. He held a giant, two-handed sword and suddenly cleaved it as it was wrapped up in black flames.

However, how was he Jian Chen's opponent? When the two weapons collided, he experienced a terrifying power that he could not resist, and it directly knocked his huge sword out of his hands.

The deputy vomited blood. His face was pale, and he felt extremely shocked inside. He had become heavily injured from that single attack.

"L- late Overgod..." The deputy cried out. He also knew that this person was far beyond a regular late Overgod.

However, he was only able to cry out that. When he finished speaking, Jian Chen's second strike flew over with lightning speed.

The simple stab seemed to be filled with the unpredictable mysteries of laws such that his attack seemed to possess a sliver of the might of heaven.

Spurt! The early Overgod was unable to avoid the second strike. The Startling Rainbow sword pierced his head and wiped out his soul.

Chapter 1865: Slaying Three Overgods with the Sword (Three)

Liu Shan and the other early Overgod had yet to return to their senses even when Jian Chen had claimed the life of the deputy by piercing a hole through his forehead.

It was not just the two of them. Even the countless people in the city below and all the people from the Ling family were stunned. Their eyes had widened drastically as disbelief filled their faces.

He was fast! Simply too fast!

From when Jian Chen first struck out till he killed the early Overgod, the time that had passed was just far too little. It was so short that many people found it to be unbelievable.

Overgods, even early Overgods, were indomitable existences to the people within the provincial city, as the strongest around were only Gods. As long as a clan possessed an Overgod, the clan would be able to rise up to become one of the peak clans within a divine kingdom.

However, just now, two strikes had claimed the life of an indomitable existence in their eyes. It had taken less than a few seconds or even just a second at most.

Jian Chen claiming the life of an early Overgod in a single second had deeply shocked everyone.

"H- how dare you kill an Overgod of the Empyrean Demon Cult? Our Empyrean Demon Cult will never let you go." Liu Shan and the other deputy were shocked. They stared at Jian Chen in surprise as they tried to appear tough.

Jian Chen had struck out suddenly and extremely quickly. He did not give them any time to interfere and save the person.

Moreover, Jian Chen's strength had surprised them. He was so powerful that even among late Overgods, he ranked towards the very top.

Jian Chen had indeed benefited greatly from his visit to the royal collection. The scroll with the notes on cultivation and comprehension left behind by a Godking at the very least had allowed him to benefit a lot. He had gained some further understanding, allowing his Laws of the Sword to increase slightly once again.

Of course, this was nowhere near enough for him to break through to the major achievement of Sword Spirit. He was still at the partial achievement of Sword Spirit.

However, the increase to Jian Chen's battle prowess was evident.

Jian Chen did not stop there. He drew out the Startling Rainbow sword and charged towards Liu Shan. He churned with sword Qi and was unstoppable.

Liu Shan became extremely stern. With a thought, he suddenly withdrew the black net over the Swordseeking province, forming a black rope in a split second. It burned with black, demonic flames, and as Liu Shan's arm danced, it struck out as a streak of black light.

At the same time, the other early Overgod also struck out. A black spike had appeared in his hand. It was also covered with black, demonic flames as he used a Truth Tier Battle Skill without any hesitation.

The black spike instantly expanded to several meters in length. It gave off the powerful energy ripples of an Overgod. The deputy controlled the spike and stabbed it towards Jian Chen as hard as he could. It caused a shocking disturbance.

However, even when Liu Shan and the deputy worked together, they were still not Jian Chen's opponent. The difference in strength was just far too great.

Jian Chen cut the black rope controlled by Liu Shan with a single stroke, incapacitating his medium quality saint artifact. Meanwhile, a mist of blood spurted from Liu Shan's mouth.

With his second attack, Jian Chen stabbed at the other deputy with lightning speed, attempting to directly fend off the battle skill with a regular attack.

Boom!

The deputy's battle skill collapsed under Jian Chen's sword. A deep gash had even appeared on his spike that was also a medium quality saint artifact like the black rope due to the Startling Rainbow sword. In fact, it was almost cut in half completely.

Spurt! The early Overgod also vomited blood. His face became extremely pale at that moment.

Facing off against Jian Chen who had basically reached peak Overgod in an open confrontation with his strength was like attacking a rock with an egg.

Liu Shan and the deputy were greatly shocked. They glanced in shock at the cold Jian Chen who was brimming with killing intent, and they made the same decision without any discussion. They immediately took out teleportation formation discs from their Space Rings and tried to activate it as soon as possible.

A fierce light shone through Jian Chen's eyes when he saw that the two people wanted to flee. He snorted coldly, "Running won't be that easy!" As he said that, the Startling Rainbow sword exploded with light. At that moment, the sword suddenly seemed to gain a mind of its own. It actually flew out of Jian Chen's hand automatically and stabbed at the deputy with great speed.

"Daluo Sword!"

At the same time, Jian Chen bellowed out. He formed a seal with his right hand, and a golden sword Qi condensed above his head instantly. As a golden streak of light, it shot towards Liu Shan like lightning.

Jian Chen controlled his sword with his soul. The streak of white light that the Startling Rainbow sword had transformed into pierced through the deputy's forehead before he could completely activate the teleportation formation, instantaneously wiping out his soul.

Liu Shan was not an exception either. Even though he had activated his formation disc extremely quickly, Jian Chen's Daluo Sword was even faster. Liu Shan had failed to activate the formation disc completely before the golden sword Qi had landed on his head. Under the rampaging sword Qi, his head was directly reduced to dust in the air. At the same time, his soul failed to escape.

All three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult had died. None of them managed to escape!

Countless people in the provincial city below raised their heads at the sky. They were utterly stunned. There were even many people who had become extremely pale. They had paled in fright from the great shock.

In just a few short seconds, they witnessed someone kill three powerful Overgods with lightning speed. Many people even found this to be unreal; it was like they were dreaming.

The shock they experienced was greater than anything they had seen in their life. Many people even began to think of the same thing.

Overgods were actually so puny!

Jian Chen stowed the Startling Rainbow sword away. His expression remained the same as before. He glanced down at the provincial city before stopping his gaze on the patriarch of the Ling family. He said, "The Empyrean Demon Cult probably won't just let this matter be. It's best if your Ling family is prepared to move for the sake of the clan's survival."

The entire Ling family looked at Jian Chen in admiration and great gratitude. Ling Mojian even bowed towards Jian Chen deeply with the rest of his clansmen. He said, "Our Ling family will never forget senior's great kindness. We will consider moving seriously. After all, this matter is just too significant. We cannot make a decision on the whim."

Ling Mojian did not dare to mention Jian Chen's name. He was worried that too many people would learn of Jian Chen's name, and the Empyrean Demon Cult would learn about it too as a result, which would lead to trouble for the Tian Yuan clan.

However, he knew that it was impossible to keep this matter a secret for too long. If the Empyrean Demon Cult really wanted to look into it, finding the person responsible would be a piece of cake. However, the later they learnt that it was the patriarch of the Tian Yuan clan, Jian Chen, who did all this, the better it would be.

Jian Chen did not say much. He removed the Space Rings from the three Overgods and did not even look inside before directly leaving the province.

After Jian Chen's departure, Ling Mojian stared at the elders by his side sternly. He communicated with them secretly, warning them to never disclose that it was Jian Chen who killed the three Overgods.

The nearby divine kingdoms already knew that there was only the patriarch of the Tian Yuan clan aside from Ling Hougong who had comprehended the Laws of the Sword. They could find out who claimed the lives of the three Overgods without even guessing, so Ling Mojian's cautiousness was basically unneeded. However, he still chose to do that.

Chapter 1866: Preparations

News of the deaths of the three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult who had surrounded the Swordseeking province spread like wildfire. It spread across the entire Divine Kingdom of Pingtian in the shortest time possible, immediately throwing the kingdom into an uproar. All the Overgod clans were extremely shocked. They guessed at who it was that was bold enough to even kill people from the Empyrean Demon Cult.

Moreover, the person in question had killed three Overgods.

Even to a great organisation like the Empyrean Demon Cult, Overgods were not nobodies. They possessed some status.

Not only had the deaths of the three Overgods become a hot topic in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian, but it even spread to the nearby divine kingdoms in an extremely short amount of time. Anyone who heard about it became stunned.

They admired the courage of the person and was amazed by their strength. The person had actually killed three Overgods in such a short amount of time.

Even many late Overgods would not be able to do something like that.

"Killing three Overgods in just a few moments in a situation where one of them is even a mid Overgod. Is that person a Godking..."

"It's only a rumor. Maybe the three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult really were killed by a single person, but it definitely shouldn't be as exaggerated as the rumors, where they say the person finished the battle in just a few seconds. It probably just got exaggerated as the rumors spread..."

Discussions appeared in various places. Over ninety percent of the people basically believed it to be an exaggeration, while the remainders all had their doubts about the matter.

"Jian Chen has actually become so powerful. It's unbelievable," Commander Xuan Dou of the Royal Divine Army stood in the study room of his estate as he sighed in amazement.

He could not help but think back to the first time he met Jian Chen. Back then, he had personally witnessed Jian Chen defeat Wayner Yan. He was only around a mid Overgod in terms of strength at the time.

Only a few dozen years had passed till the next time Xuan Dou saw him, but Jian Chen already possessed the strength to fight Yang Kai at that time. His strength had increased at an alarming rate.

Yet now, Jian Chen actually managed to kill three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult in such a short amount of time. Compared to when he fought Yang Kai, he was even stronger now.

"Is Jian Chen's strength growing at all times? At this rate, he'll become a Godking before long," Xuan Dou sighed emotionally. He did not listen to the rumors. Instead, he had people planted outside the Swordseeking province who knew the situation at all times.

As a result, even though he could not say he knew everything that had happened in the Swordseeking province, he basically knew what had happened.

"Never, ever provoke the Tian Yuan clan from today onwards..."

At the same time, all the ancestor of the Overgod clans in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian sent down stern orders. They feared Jian Chen very much.

In the Yang family, the ancestor, Yang Kai, was still heavily injured from his battle with Jian Chen. He did not have Jian Chen's regeneration, so even after consuming healing pills, he would still need some time to achieve a full recovery.

When Yang Kai, who was in his secret room, heard that Jian Chen had killed three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult, he immediately sneered. He said softly, "How can you just kill people from the Empyrean Demon Cult like that, let alone three Overgods? The Empyrean Demon Cult will never just let the matter be."

"Moreover, this matter should be somewhat related to a vice-leader of the Empyrean Demon Cult. Jian Chen, you've bitten off more than you can chew now. Even dying will become difficult for you."

Yang Kai took pleasure in Jian Chen's misfortune.

Jian Chen returned to the Tian Yuan clan in the Dong'an province.

Currently, a barrier and formation surrounded the discussion hall of the Tian Yuan clan. Not only did it cut off any noises in the hall from the outside world, but it also stopped the entry of any senses of the soul.

Jian Chen sat on the patriarch's throne very casually in his white, luxurious robes. Below him sat two rows of people. There were over twenty of them, and they were of various ages. The youngest only seemed to be fourteen or fifteen years old, while the oldest already had gray hair and hunched backs.

These people were the higher powers of the Tian Yuan clan. All of them were Gods.

Among them, the youngest was a white-robed young man. His face was cold, and his eyes shone brightly. He gave off a faint presence of slaughter.

Even though he was still slightly baby-faced, many people cast fearful gazes towards him as he sat there with a straight back.

In the years that Jian Chen had been away, the Tian Yuan clan had rapidly powered up. Many Gods had joined the clan, taking up positions as elders. That was why there were so many Gods in the Tian Yuan clan now.

Jian Chen glanced down before stopping on the young man who only seemed to be fourteen or fifteen. He could not help but smile as if he was relieved.

This was because the white-robed young man was the white tiger. He had become a God now.

Even though he was only an early God, even a few mid Gods seated there feared him.

Aside from that, Xi Yu, Mo Ling, Ando Fu, and the Gods from the Nanyun clan, which was originally one of three great clans of the Dong'an province, were seated there as well.

The Nanyun clan had completely become a part of the Tian Yuan clan now. Originally, they only joined in hopes of getting the support of an Overgod so that they would have someone they could rely on.

However, in the years they spent with the Tian Yuan clan, they had benefited greatly. All the cultivation methods they used were Overgod cultivation methods left behind by Jian Chen.

"I believe you've all heard about the deaths of the three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult. From today onwards, the Tian Yuan clan will probably lose its peace. I've gathered you all here today to give you a choice. Whether you want to leave or stay is completely up to you. I won't stop you if you want to leave," Jian Chen said sternly.

A few of the seated elders hesitated. In the end, some of them chose to leave and break off from the Tian Yuan clan.

Actually, most of the elders chose to leave.

However, Nanyun Tong and the others chose to stay without any hesitation at all. They held great hopes for Jian Chen. They knew that Jian Chen had a way to overcome this threat.

Moreover, the Tian Yuan clan had always treated them as one of their own. They gradually developed a sense of belonging in the Tian Yuan clan. Now that the clan was in danger, it was time for them to express their loyalty.

Mo Ling and Ando Fu chose to stay without any hesitation either. The two of them were probably even closer to the clan than Jian Chen.

This was because Jian Chen almost never managed the affairs of the clan. Every single brick in the clan had basically been laid under their orders.

To them, this was equivalent to a new home.

Jian Chen's face did not change when he saw that only ten Gods remained aside from the white tiger. He said, "Alright. Since you don't plan on leaving and are willing to die with the Tian Yuan clan, I guarantee that if we successfully overcome this disaster, I will never mistreat you in the future."

"Xi Yu, how are the materials that you've collected?" Jian Chen looked at Xi Yu.

Xi Yu took out a Space Ring and gave it to Jian Chen. She said, "Patriarch, I've already collected all the materials we can gather right now from the elders. They're all in that Space Ring. Moreover, I've sent some people to other provincial cities to collect the required materials. I believe a second batch will come soon."

Jian Chen took the materials and immediately entered seclusion.

Chapter 1867: Lurking Enemies

Jian Chen sat in a room within the forbidden grounds of the Tian Yuan clan. He took out various materials from his Space Ring as he channelled the Chaotic Force in his dantian. He burnt it as Chaotic Flames to refine the materials successively.

The materials that Jian Chen had asked Xi Yu to collect were all for creating teleportation formations.

The divine king had said that there was no need to fear the Empyrean Demon Cult. Even if they en masse to deal with the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian, the people from the empires would step forward to stop them.

However, Jian Chen did not know whether what he said was reliable. Moreover, even if the divine king was telling the truth, he could not place all his hopes on those distant empires. He needed to have a path of escape, so the Tian Yuan clan could avoid the devastating attacks of the Empyrean Demon Cult.

"Right now, there's a perfect method of retreat presented before me, and that's teleportation formations. I need to cast down teleportation formations in the shortest time possible. If the Empyrean Demon Cult comes, everyone can leave through the teleportation formation," Jian Chen thought. Several materials hovered before him. Chaotic Flames burnt on his hands as he refined the materials for the teleportation formation with all his attention.

Fortunately, he did not have to cast a teleportation that could cross worlds, planes or regions. He only needed a teleportation formation that could take people across to another divine kingdom, so it did not have to be high quality. As a result, there was not a great requirement for his mastery over teleportation formations. With Jian Chen's current grasp and familiarity over teleportation formations, he believe he would be able to cast down teleportation formations that could cross divine kingdoms without long.

Naturally, there was not a great requirement on the materials to cast down a teleportation formation like that either. As a result, he had hover a hundred sets of materials for teleportation formations.

Every set was enough to cast a single teleportation formation.

Three days later, Jian Chen refined all the sets of materials for the teleportation formations. He did not stop there. He immediately began to attempt to create teleportation formations in the room.

Boom! Boom! Boom...

In the following period of time, Jian Chen's room constantly rumbled. These were failed teleportation formations. The energy within the formation had lost control, hence causing an explosion.

Although the information in the memory pearl had allowed Jian Chen's knowledge and grasp over teleportation formations to reach a whole new level, he was still a little off from creating it perfectly. Jian Chen needed to overcome this through learning from his mistakes.

"I haven't used enough Ceiling Stone..."

"The crucial points of the formation have been placed down incorrectly..."

"This time, the formation's been activated too quickly, such that the teleportation energy became violent. It caused the entire formation to collapse..."

...

Jian Chen had already become disheveled inside the room. However, he persistently cast down teleportation formations without minding at all, ignoring any exhaustion. He was learning from his mistakes.

Every time he failed, Jian Chen would deepen his understanding of teleportation formations. Jian Chen would gain extremely valuable experience as well. Gradually, Jian Chen's teleportation formations became closer to perfection and the number of times they exploded gradually lessened as well.

Half a month later, when Jian Chen cast down the teleportation formation with the last set of materials on him, the gloomy room suddenly began to shine brightly. A powerful energy for teleportation filled the room.

A formation with a radius of five meters appeared on the ground of the room. It was complicated and profound, giving off blinding light. It disturbed the space there, causing it to ripple with instability. Waves in space appeared.

"Success!" Jian Chen's eyes shone with excitement. He had finally cast down a complete teleportation formation with the last set of materials.

This was unlike the teleportation formations he had cast down on the Tian Yuan Continent. They were only markers so he could find his way back, like a beacon of light in the darkness so he would not get lost.

However, the teleportation formation he had cast down right now could truly send people away. It could directly take them to another divine kingdom.

Of course, Jian Chen needed to cast down a similar teleportation formation on the other end.

However, he had now run out of materials. He needed to get more from Xi Yu if he wanted to cast down a second teleportation formation.

Jian Chen emerged from seclusion. When he made his way out, he discovered that Xi Yu was already waiting outside.

Aside from Xi Yu, there were also the people who had come up to the Saints' World with Jian Chen.

Houston, the white tiger, Shangguan Mu'er, Xiao Jin, Xiao Ling, Rui Jin, Hei Yu, Hong Lian, Nubis and Xiong Zhong, Cheng Jingyun and the others from the World of Forsaken Saints were all gathered there.

"Uncle Xiu, you've actually become a God!"

Houston looked like he was in his seventies, but his face was ruddy and brimming with energy. His hair was no longer snowy white. His hair which he allowed to hang loose had already become scarlet red. Coupled with his blood red robes, he seemed to possess a 'demonic' presence.

Jian Chen was not surprised by the demonic aura on Houston. This was because he had personally given the Empyrean Demon Orb to Houston. Houston practised the demonic arts from there, so he possessed a demonic presence.

However, what he felt extremely shocked about was that Houston progressed just too quickly. It could be described as extraordinary.

This was because Houston had not even reached Godhood when he had first come to the Saints' World. In less than a hundred years, he had already become a God.

If the news made it out, it would be rather unbelievable.

"It's all because of what you gave me. The reason why I can advance so quickly is all because of it," Houston sighed emotionally. Only he understood just how precious the Empyrean Demon Orb Jian Chen had given him was. It was basically a treasure that changed his life completely.

Whenever he cultivated, the Empyrean Demon Orb would invite the mysteries of the laws and personally pass it onto Houston. As a result, Houston's comprehension of laws progressed at an alarming rate.

"Mu'er, you're actually a late God..." Jian Chen looked at the purple-dressed, beautiful Shangguan Mu'er and was surprised once again.

However, Jian Chen understood very soon. Shangguan Mu'er was the mother of someone who possessed the Innate Chaotic Body. She was blessed by the world, so her cultivation naturally would be extremely smooth. If she managed to survive, she would definitely become a great expert that was equivalent to Immortal Emperors.

Jian Chen studied every single one of them and discovered only the white tiger, Houston and Shangguan Mu'er managed to become Gods.

Everyone else from the Tian Yuan Continent had become Deities.

Only Xiong Zhong and Cheng Jingyun from the World of Forsaken Saints managed to reach early Godhood. The other people were still at Returnance.

"Patriarch, this is all the materials we've managed to collect so far." At this moment, Xi Yu passed the Space Ring in her hand to Jian Chen. Her complexion was rather ugly.

Jian Chen accepted the Space Ring and immediately frowned, "Why is there so less? There's only a little more than thirty sets."

"Patriarch, we originally purchased for more than that, but some accidents happened to the people that we sent to collect the materials. Over twenty people had been killed along the way and all the materials were stolen. It's quite a loss. If it were not for elder Houston and elder Sacredfeather who managed to get some materials back, we probably would have even less right now," said Xi Yu.

A brutal light shone through Jian Chen's eyes when he heard that. Killing intent flickered and he growled, "Do you know who did it?"

Houston said, "We still don't know who they are. We only know that they've sent Deities or even Gods against us. Sacredfeather and I managed to capture two Gods and a few Deities before, but they were willing to self-destruct to avoid disclosing their identities."

"Who's Sacredfeather?" Jian Chen could not help but wonder when he heard Sacredfeather, as he had never heard of the name before.

"Brother, Sacredfeather's me." The white tiger said, "Originally, my mother gave me a name, but I don't like it, so I gave myself a name recently."

Jian Chen nodded with a smile. The white tiger was extraordinary. Its bloodline was very powerful. It could directly break through to the Origin realm even when the lower world was sealed up, so he probably possessed a great background. The word 'sacred' was indeed suitable for him.

Moreover, he possessed a pair of feathered wings, so the 'feather' part was extremely suitable as well.

However, Jian Chen did not know that the white tiger was not actually a Winged Tiger God. The Winged Tiger God was only a name created by people from the lower world. Its true identity was a Sacredfeathered Tiger Emperor which possessed an extremely powerful bloodline.

Clearly, the white tiger had adopted the first word of its species for its name.

Jian Chen said after some thought, "As long as they've reached Godhood, whether they're Deities or Gods, they'll have some renown within the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. Have you found any leads?"

Xi Yu said, "We thought of that quite early on, so we already sent people to investigate. However, we still failed to find anything. It's as if people don't know about the existence of these Godhood experts. Maybe they're not from the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian or any of the neighboring divine kingdoms."

Xi Yu paused. She hesitated slightly before adding, "However, Nanyun Tong said that a few ancient Overgod clans possess some hidden forces. As a result, we're guessing that the Gohood experts who attacked us are the hidden forces from a powerful clan."

"Is it the Yang family? Or is it the Mo family of the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang?" Jian Chen said softly as the light in his eyes flickered with uncertainty. The only Overgod clans he had fallen out with were the Wayner clan, Yang family and Mo family.

Jian Chen directly ignored the Wayner clan, because they just did not possess something like that.

Only the Mo family and Yang family were left. Of course, he had to consider the possibility of other organisations trying to create confusion.

Chapter 1868: Shen Jian's Return

"You have to be careful these days. It's best if you don't get any clansmen to leave the Dong'an province. The current Tian Yuan clan is facing many troubles. A few organisations have probably decided to target us because they think we won't have any extra energy to deal with them. As a result, they're purposefully causing some problems for us," Jian Chen said coldly. His gaze was extremely sharp.

The people of the Tian Yuan clan were being ambushed when they were collecting the materials. The matter had aggravated his killing intent.

This was because the importance of the teleportation formation materials was evident to the Tian Yuan clan. It was directly related to the clan's survival.

Shangguan Mu'er, Houston, Sacredfeather, and the others were all extremely stern. After they learnt about the Empyrean Demon Cult's power, they all realised just how great of a threat the Tian Yuan clan was facing.

Suddenly, Jian Chen's face changed. A sliver of joy appeared, and he said, "A friend has returned. Everyone, come with me to receive him."

Jian Chen led everyone from the Tian Yuan Continent out of the forbidden grounds and directly to the main entrance of the clan.

A middle-aged man stood outside.

He appeared to be in his forties. His black hair was draped on his shoulders, directly extending to his waist. His appearance was nothing special at all. He was the type that would not raise any attention if he was left in a crowd. He wore a set of simple, black robes and carried a simple, black sword on his back.

"Spiritking!"

"The Spiritking has returned!"

When Xiong Zhong and the others saw the middle-aged man, they were immediately overjoyed. Excitement flooded their faces.

The middle-aged man was Shen Jian who had left several decades ago.

"Shen Jian, you sure have chosen a bad time to return," Jian Chen smiled as he looked at Shen Jian. However, his smile was not joyful but bitter.

However, he could already tell that Shen Jian was now an Overgod.

Shen Jian stared back at Jian Chen. His plain gaze carried a hint of sharpness like that of a sword.

"I didn't plan on returning so soon originally, but you killed three Overgods from the Empyrean Demon Cult, so I had to return," Shen Jian said calmly without any expression on his face. However, when he glanced past Xiong Zhong and the three others, he nodded slightly.

Jian Chen laughed aloud, "Alright. Since you're diving head first into the problem, let's struggle with them together. Let's go. We'll talk after we go in."

In a secret room within the Tian Yuan clan, Jian Chen and Shen Jian sat facing each other. There was only the two of them in the room.

"The Empyrean Demon Cult is powerful. Now that you've killed three of their Overgods, they'll never just let the matter slide. How do you plan on dealing with them?" Shen Jian skipped the small talk and asked directly.

"Isn't my only choice to deal with it as they come? If I really can't do anything about it, we can only retreat. We'll move everyone away using the teleportation formations in the clan," said Jian Chen. He did not hide anything from Shen Jian, telling him all of his plans. At the same time, he told everything he had learnt from the divine king to Shen Jian.

Shen Jian said after some thought, "The problem is whether the divine king's words are reliable or not. If it really is as the divine king has said, that the people from the empire will interfere once the Empyrean Demon Cult invades the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian, we don't have to worry too much."

"Regardless of the truth behind the divine king's words, we can't place our hopes on other people," said Jian Chen. He stared at Shen Jian brightly and said sternly, "I've already cast down the teleportation formation in the clan. However, I need to set up a formation on the other end. That way, we'll be able to choose a safe place to teleport to."

"Originally, I was worried that someone would attack the Tian Yuan clan after I left. I don't have to worry at all now that you're here."

Shen Jian nodded. He said, "Go without worry. Leave here to me."

"However, activating the formation needs energy. There are so many people in the clan, so if you want to send them all away, you'll need quite a few divine crystals," said Jian Chen. He immediately took out the Space Rings he had obtained from the three Overgods. After searching through them, he discovered that there were close to twenty blocks of high grade divine crystal in the Space Rings.

Moreover, there were a few loose mid grade divine crystals.

"Keep the divine crystals with you. If the people of the Empyrean Demon Cult come, use the divine crystals to support the teleportation formation's operation." Jian Chen gave Shen Jian half of the divine crystals before leaving the room.

Afterwards, Jian Chen found Shangguan Mu'er and the others. He left all his other divine crystals with them before silently leaving the clan. He looked for a place to retreat to.

"The Divine Kingdom of Pingtian borders the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang. Past the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang is the Divine Kingdom of Datian. Past there and a huge mountain range is the territory of the Heavenly Moon Empire." Jian Chen flew as quickly as he could among the clouds as he thought about the path of retreat.

"With the power of the Empyrean Demon Cult, it'll be completely useless whether we retreat to the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang or the Divine Kingdom of Datian. Looks like only the Heavenly Moon Empire can make the Empyrean Demon Cult experience some fear. I'll go to the Heavenly Moon Empire!" Jian Chen immediately used the Linear Lightning Release after making up his mind. He turned into lightning and hurried off.

Before long, Jian Chen left the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian and arrived at the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang. He chose a desolate mountain and cast down a transfer teleportation formation in an obscure cave before continuing onwards.

"Ancestor of the Mo family, I'll be able to take back what's mine very soon." Jian Chen stared in the direction of the Mo family from afar, and a sliver of killing intent flickered through his eyes. Afterwards, he turned into a streak of light and hurried to the Divine Kingdom of Datian.

Under Jian Chen's full speed, he passed through the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang. He made his way around the foot of the Yin Mountains of Sevens Despair and entered the Divine Kingdom of Datian. He found an obscure location to cast down another teleportation formation before hurrying off to the Heavenly Moon Empire without stopping at all.

There were a few obstacles along the way. He encountered the attack of several vicious beasts and also dove straight into a few formations cast down by bandits. Some of the bandits had even reached late God.

However, with Jian Chen's current strength, these obstacles were nothing. He dealt with them just by raising his hand. However, if he were a God instead, he probably would have died several times already.

In the end, Jian Chen entered the Heavenly Moon Empire after leaving the Tian Yuan clan for ten days. He did not enter any cities and instead cast down the final teleportation formation in a remote mountain range just like before.

Jian Chen finally let out a sigh of relief after casting down the final teleportation formation. The path of retreat for the Tian Yuan clan had finally been completed.

"The Heavenly Moon Empire really is extremely distant from the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. Even with my speed, I needed that much time for travelling. If a God wanted to travel this far, they'll probably need several years. Now, it's time for me to pay a visit to the Mo family," thought Jian Chen before standing in the centre of the teleportation formation. He activated it, and after a flash of intense white light, he vanished.

Chapter 1869: The Ninth Army

After two teleportations, Jian Chen appeared within the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang. Only when the bright light from the teleportation beneath him completely vanished did he step out of it. He directly departed from the obscure cave that held the teleportation formation.

Near the cave, Jian Chen seemed to become a cannonball at that moment. He directly shot into the sky to an altitude of ten thousand meters. He stood among the clouds.

A map appeared in his hand. After locating the Mo family, he directly set off.

The Tian Yuan clan faced the threat of the Empyrean Demon Cult. At such a time, Jian Chen needed to increase his strength as soon as possible. If he wanted to achieve a breakthrough with his Chaotic Body, the energy required would just be far too shocking. He had not found enough resources yet, so a breakthrough was unlikely.

As for the Laws of the Sword, he managed to make some progress in the royal collection. However, he still would not be able to reach the major achievement of Sword Spirit in a short amount of time.

The only remaining thing that could increase his strength was the damaged piece of armor.

Even though the armor was heavily damaged, it was still a god artifact after all. If he wore it, it would increase his defences, even if it was just slightly.

A tremendous city stood on a scarlet ground, surrounded by layers of powerful formations in the distant Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons as Jian Chen made his way towards the Mo family. It gave off extremely powerful pulses of energy.

Many armored soldiers stood on the walls, and there were a few people of various ages in luxurious robes among them. However, without any exception, all of them were haggard and exhausted. Droplets of blood covered their bodies.

Some of them had even been completely covered in blood. It was impossible to tell whether it was their own blood or someone else's.

This was the royal capital of the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons as well as the only thing left standing in the divine kingdom.

The royal capital had become heavily damaged over the years of battle. Even with the protection of powerful formations at the level of Godkings, there were still huge cracks in various places.

The ground around the royal capital had been dyed red by blood, which had formed streams across the battlefield. Countless corpses were piled like mountains as the heavy smell of blood lingered in the air.

This was because the final forces of the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons had engaged in an intense battle against the ninth army of the Empyrean Demon Cult four hours ago.

"They can't last much longer," three gleams of light hovered in the sky above the royal capital. They shone like the sun as they gave off tremendous presences.

However, the presence clearly only seemed powerful on the surface.

This was the greatest force that the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons possessed, three Godkings.

"There are no reinforcements. There's no more hope. Fate wants our Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons to fall..."

"The Empyrean Demon Cult is filled with wild ambitions. Their methods have been bloody and brutal. They've already wiped out so many divine kingdoms across the years. Why haven't the empires stepped in yet..."

The three Godkings hovered in the air and said softly. They were obscured by the blinding light around them, and laws of the world revolved around them too. As such, their figures became hazy and unclear.

Ten kilometers before the three of them, black clouds hung in the gloomy sky. Demonic aura filled the surroundings.

A group of soldiers in black armor stood there coldly. Even though there were not many of them, they pressured the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons to the point of suffocation.

They were the ninth army of the Empyrean Demon Cult!

Even though the ninth army was only composed of a hundred thousand people, these same hundred thousand people were enough to obliterate the huge armies of any divine kingdom.

The commander of the ninth army, Yan Wuming, hovered in the air before his army. He also wore armor as his cape fluttered wildly in the wind.

"Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons, we've already found the way to destroy your formations. I'll kill you all in a single stroke with the next attack. Let's go," Yan Wuming sneered as he gave off a demonic aura. He remained composed when he faced the three Godkings. He did not treat them with any importance at all.

The ninth army retreated before setting up a base a hundred kilometers away.

Yan Wuming summoned some of his generals into his tent to discuss the battle.

Suddenly, an illusionary figure of an extremely handsome young man in white robes appeared in the tent.

"Yan Wuming, it has been so many days already. Have you captured the person called Ling Hougong?" As soon as the young man appeared, he stared at Yan Wuming as if he was judging him. His voice was cold.

Yan Wuming's face sank. He slammed his desk and called out rudely, 'Protector Zeng, since when did I report to you? Who do you think you are? Do you believe that I'll disperse your soul projection with a single smack for talking to me like that?"

The young man sneered, "Yan Wuming, you clearly don't have to report to me, but there's something I should tell you."

"Stop dragging things on like a woman. If you have something to say, spit it out. Once you are done, get out of my territory," Yan Wuming was extremely short-tempered.

The Overgod generals in the tent all shied backwards. They did not dare to make any noise between Yan Wuming and protector Zeng's argument.

"Vice-leader Hua An has already emerged from seclusion. He's already looking into this himself. Yan Wuming, don't blame me for not warning you. If you don't handle the matter well, you'll be in deep trouble if the vice-leader wants to blame someone." Throwing that down with a sneer, protector Zeng vanished.

Yan Wuming suddenly became stern after protector Zeng left. He glanced below and said rudely, "Liu Shan has gone for so long. Why hasn't he returned yet? Can't he even deal with a mere early Overgod?"

The generals below all looked at each other. In the past few days, their ninth army had always been engaged with the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons. Naturally, they did not receive the news of Liu Shan and his deputies' deaths.

"Report!" Suddenly, a messenger ran in. He dropped to one knee and said politely, "Commander, I've just received news that general Liu Shan and his two deputies were slain by Jian Chen in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian."

"What? Liu Shan is dead? How dare he!" Yan Wuming stood up. His presence churned as killing intent rose up. He said coldly, "Who's Jian Chen? How dare he kill a person of mine?"

"Commander, this is all the information on Jian Chen," the messenger passed a jade slip to Yan Wuming.

After reading through everything in the jade slip. He frowned. He growled, "This Jian Chen really is somewhat capable. It's extremely likely that he has the support of a Primordial realm expert and has connections with a great clan of unknown power. No wonder he's bold enough to stand up against us."

"But, so what? Our Empyrean Demon Cult won't fear him no matter how great his background is. I need to take his life for killing a person of mine."

Suddenly, Yan Wuming stared at all the gathered generals. He said, "Is there any late Overgod willing to go to the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian and bring me the heads of Jian Chen and Ling Hougong?"

The group of generals looked at each other. No one spoke out to accept the mission.

A while later, an Overgod stood up and said, "Commander, we've reached a crucial moment in attacking the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons. If we send a late Overgod to the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian at such a time, it'll definitely make the battle longer and decrease the might of our army. If the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons makes a final struggle at a time like this and attacks our army, we'll suffer heavy losses."

"And, I am guessing that since the person called Jian Chen was bold enough to kill our people, he might have the support of the royal family in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. If he really does have their support, sending one or two late Overgods would be equivalent to sending them to their deaths."

"In my opinion, why don't we defeat the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons first and then advance to the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian?"

Yan Wuming lowered his head and pondered for a while before saying, "Alright! In seven days, we will lead a full assault on the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons. Once we've dealt with them, we'll immediately attack the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian."

Chapter 1870: Orders of the Grand Elder

"Yes, sir!"

All the generals gathered in Yan Wuming's tent accepted the orders. Excitement filled their eyes as their battle intent surged. They liked to fight very much.

"Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons, I'll give you seven days to catch your breath. After those seven days, I'd like to see just what else you have to repel my attacks." Yan Wuming sat on the commander's seat. Killing intent and bloodthirstiness flickered through his eyes.

"After we wipe out the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons, I'll personally visit the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. I can't just let this matter slide now that my people have died in the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian."

...

On the tremendous southern region of the Cloud Plane, there were some plains far away from the Divine Kingdom of Three Cauldrons where the skies were always black. The scarlet land would never see any sun, and it was lifelessly barren. It was filled with a deathly silence as far as the eye could see.

A majestic castle stood in the depths of the land that never saw light.

The castle was extremely large. It was dark red as if it had been doused with blood. Even from a distance, there was a heavy smell of blood. The smell of death seemed to permeate the surroundings.

This castle was the headquarters of the Empyrean Demon Cult's Cloud Plane branch.

Even though the surroundings of the castle were barren, without any guards whatsoever, no one dared to approach where it stood. Even experts as powerful as Godkings would not dare to stand within a thousand kilometers of the castle.

Even people who had surpassed Godkings like Primordial realm experts that only existed in legends to most people in the Saints' World did not dare to stand within a hundred kilometers of the castle.

Even to Primordial realm experts, a range of a hundred kilometers from the castle was a forbidden zone that they could never set foot in.

At this moment, three people who were wrapped up in powerful demonic auras were on the highest floor of the castle. Only their figures were vaguely visible as they sat in the air.

The demonic aura the three of them gave off was enough to shake the world. Their presences were so terrifying that even the expressions of Godkings would change.

It was as if any single one of them possessed a devastatingly terrifying power within their bodies.

"Huai An, you've finally emerged from seclusion. You've been in seclusion for so long. Looking at your condition, you've made a full recovery," said one of the three people surrounded by demonic aura. He spoke calmly, without any emotion at all.

It was not difficult to tell from the ancient voice that he was an old man.

"Hahaha, you're a mighty Infinite Prime, yet you became so heavily injured by a mere Godking. It took you so long in seclusion to make a full recovery. Huai An, just that is enough for your name to leave a mark in history," said the second figure surrounded by demonic aura. Her voice was crisp and pleasant. She was female, and her voice was filled with mockery.

"Hmph. Yi Huayue, you probably won't even be able to do what I did if you fought against Duanmu. You might have even been slain by him," said the third figure covered by demonic aura. There was an evident sliver of annoyance in his words.

Yi Huayue giggled, "Huai An, do you think that I'm an idiot? You struggled so much even against a Godking. If I were fighting instead, I would have killed Duanmu with a flip of my hand."

"You think you can deal with Duanmu with your little tricks?" Huai An sneered. His voice was filled with disdain, and he said, "Duanmu did not make it onto the Godking's Throne, but that was only because he was unwilling. He's powerful enough to make it into the top one hundred ranks. Yi Huayue, it's not that I'm looking down on you, but with your strength, who knows who would be the one who ends up dead if you fought him."

The Godking's Throne recorded the most powerful, current Godkings in the Saints' World. Their strength was ranked among each other, and without a doubt, every single expert who could make it onto the throne, regardless of ranking, was an extremely powerful existence. Any single one of them could claim that they were supreme among Godkings. They were all famous.

Legend had it that the top one hundred Godkings possessed the power to take on Primordial realm experts.

Of course, these Primordial realm experts were naturally the weaker kind.

As for the people who ranked within the top ten, they would even have the supreme strength to kill Primordial realm experts directly.

"I heard as soon as I emerged that Duanmu, that kiddo, has a successor now. Huai An, since you exaggerate Duanmu to be so powerful, I'll warn you out of good intentions. Don't end up dying in the hands of Duanmu's successor after surviving Duanmu," Yi Huayue giggled.

"Enough. Stop bickering," an ancient voice rang out. The old man shrouded in demonic aura said, "Yi Huayue, Huai An, you must have received the grand elder's orders."

As soon as he mentioned the grand elder, Yi Huayue and Huai An immediately fell silent.

"The grand elder has ordered us to quicken our pace in collecting soul energy. Looks like we need to send out all nine armies," Huai An said gruffly.

"If we do that, we'll definitely raise the attention of all the powerful organisations on the Cloud Plane. Those empires won't just stand by either. They'll definitely try to stop us," Yi Huayue said sternly.

"Since the order comes from the grand elder, it must be the great elder's intentions as well. There's no need for us to fear. We just need to carry out the orders. Pass down orders to mobilise the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth armies. They will split off in three directions. Pass down orders for all protectors in the headquarters to emerge from seclusion and wait for further orders."

...

The Divine Kingdom of Qingyang possessed similar strength to the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. They also possessed two Godkings, but the divine kingdom had been around for much longer than the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian.

The Divine Kingdom of Pingtian had only been founded for several hundred thousand years ago, while the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang had already been around for over a million years.

The Divine Kingdom of Qingyang copied the forty-nine great planes and the eighty-one great planets of the Saints' World, so they divided their territory into forty-nine provinces and eighty-one major cities in hopes of borrowing the fortune of the Saints' World to keep on existing.

The Blue River province was one of the forty-nine provinces of the Divine Kingdom of Qingyang. At the same time, it possessed five provincial cities.

The five provincial cities were similar to the six great provinces of the Divine Kingdom of Pingtian. They were all places that possessed Overgods.

The Blue River province basically belonged to the Mo family. They were the absolute rulers there.

Suddenly, an extremely powerful presence rolled out and engulfed the entire Blue River province.

At the same time, a resplendent sword Qi shot over from the thick clouds with a dazzling glow. It disappeared into the province with lightning speed.

Boom!

A deafening sound immediately rang out from the provincial city of the Blue River province. The entire city shook violently.

The protective formations of the city activated as soon as possible and engulfed the entire city.

However, the formation shattered right after it appeared. Under the powerful energy ripples, countless buildings in the city collapsed, and thick cracks filled the streets.

"Ancestor of the Mo family, get your ass out here," a cold voice rang out in the sky, echoing through the provincial city.

A white-robed young man stared at the city below him coldly. He directly emerged from the clouds, slowly descending from the air.

To no surprise, he was Jian Chen.