Jiang Chen’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
The Kun-eating Race were parasites.
And this majestic being was saying the Kun-eating Race were parasites *inside his own body*.
A bold, yet terrifying, thought surfaced in Jiang Chen’s mind...
The majestic being glanced at Jiang Chen with a smile. "Little one, you’ve guessed correctly. The Kun Realm is a part of my body."
BOOM!
Jiang Chen felt the world spin as his mind went completely blank.
’How big is the Kun Realm?’
’The area around Blood Jade City alone is as vast as a Middle Grade Dynasty in the Eastern Continent.’
’Hundreds of billions of humans live there.’
’And this vast world is just a part of the body of the being in front of me?’
GULP!
Jiang Chen swallowed hard, staring in horror at the majestic being before him. "Senior, what exactly are you...?"
"Think about the Kun Realm’s name!" the majestic being said with a laugh.
"The Kun Realm? Kun? Senior, are you... a Kun?"
Jiang Chen’s eyes flew wide.
He felt that in all his twenty years, he had never been so utterly shocked.
’The powerful Kun-eating Race are merely parasites inside its body. The vast Kun Realm is just a part of its body. And the majestic being standing before me is actually the legendary Sea God of the North Nether Sea—a Kun!’
"Indeed I am!"
The majestic being chuckled and gave Jiang Chen a wink. "Actually, you should have already seen me before!"
"Seen you before, Senior?"
Jiang Chen frowned, his heart still reeling from the shock.
Every experience he’d had since arriving in the North Nether Sea flashed through his mind. Aside from seeing a statue of a Kun on Red Shark Island, when else had he...?
’Wait a minute!’
Jiang Chen snapped his gaze to the majestic being, his breath catching in his throat.
He’d only stopped in two places in the North Nether Sea. The first was Red Shark Island, which he could rule out. The only other place was the site of the Mystic Sect’s ruins—that seemingly boundless continent, nearly half the size of the Eastern Continent!
’Was that continent the Kun’s actual body?’
"Years ago, the Mystic Sect Master and I were the closest of friends. But because of a certain incident, he was attacked by a Gai Shi powerhouse from Zhongzhou. My friend knew he was no match for that expert from Zhongzhou. Before he fell, he entrusted the Mystic Sect to me. I then swallowed the Mystic Sect and hid deep within the North Nether Sea. Only one holding the Mystic Sect Sword Order can trigger my senses, calling me back from the ocean’s depths!"
A nostalgic look appeared on the majestic Kun’s face.
Jiang Chen suppressed his shock and asked, "Senior, what about the tunnel entrance on the continent, the one filled with Annihilation Gang Wind and Void Storms?"
The Kun paused, a peculiar smile spreading across his face. "That’s just my nostril. As for the Annihilation Gang Wind and Void Storms, that’s just me breathing!"
HISS...
Jiang Chen sucked in a sharp breath.
He remembered it had taken him several days to pass through that tunnel.
’And the Annihilation Gang Wind was powerful enough to kill an Emperor Realm Powerhouse!’
’And all of that was just its nostril? Just from it breathing and disturbing the fabric of space?’
’Just breathing could tear the void and create Annihilation Gang Wind!’
’Just how powerful is this Kun?’
The Kun continued, as if speaking to himself, "Though I possess immense power, enough to slay even a Demigod, the Kun-eating Race are like maggots clinging to my very bones. I am unable to deal with them myself. My only choice was to rely on the mortals left behind in the Mystic Sect. I would send them into the Three-layered Kun Realm to help me purge the Kun-eating Race. But with no Spirit Crystals or Spirit Medicine inside the Kun Realm—and because it’s inside my body—they could never break through to the Emperor Realm. The problem of the Kun-eating Race was never solved... until now. You’ve finally helped me remove a major threat!"
Jiang Chen was speechless.
’So I was just a glorified doctor, then!’
’All that hardship, facing life and death time and again in the Kun Realm, was just to help him get rid of some parasites?’
Jiang Chen gave the Kun’s massive back a strange look. "Senior, when the Mystic Sect Master entrusted the Mystic Sect to you, he probably didn’t ask you to set up this particular trial, did he? I’m guessing this was your own little addition?"
"..."
The Kun’s body stiffened slightly. He said flatly, "How could that be? Am I the sort of being who would use you juniors for my own selfish gains?"
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. ’Yeah, right. I totally believe you.’
He strode forward to walk alongside the Kun and grinned. "Senior, look, I helped you deal with the Kun-eating Race in one of your Kun Realms. I almost died in there a few times. As a senior, you should at least give me some sort of reward for my trouble, don’t you think?"
"A reward?" the Kun said irritably. "Brat, you went in as a Human King and came out strong enough to slay an Emperor Realm expert. What more of a reward could you possibly want?"
Jiang Chen stood his ground, pursing his lips. "You make me do your dirty work but offer no compensation? There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If that’s how it is, I’ll just stay here and won’t leave. You’re a senior, after all. If you can stomach dragging me away yourself, then this junior will have nothing more to say! It’s just... this junior has a bit of a loose tongue. Who knows what sort of nasty rumors about you might start spreading around the North Nether Sea..."
"You... you..."
The Kun was so furious his beard practically bristled.
Jiang Chen just laced his hands behind his head and started whistling, looking for all the world like he didn’t have a care.
The Kun shook his head with a wry smile. "Alright, you win. I’m impressed. This is a Ten Thousand Years Dragon Blood Coral, and this is a piece of Sea Blue Profound Nether Iron. I can see your weapon was once a Divine Soldier. If you smelt these into it, it should recover to the level of a Top-level Sacred Weapon."
A piece of coral, glowing blood-red and shaped like a Dragon Horn, appeared, along with a head-sized chunk of Cold Iron that shimmered with an icy blue light.
Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up. These were both incredibly rare treasures.
He quickly stored them away.
But Jiang Chen didn’t budge. He slanted a look at the Kun. "We can call that my fee for services rendered. But what about compensation for my emotional distress? I almost died in there several times..."
"You... you..."
The Kun’s beard trembled with rage. He shot Jiang Chen a vicious glare before saying, exasperated, "You’re unbelievable, kid. I give up. This is the ’North Nether Divine Fist,’ a Demigod-Level Martial Skill I created back when I was at the Emperor Realm. Consider it your lucky day..."
A flicker of Spiritual Light shot from his fingertip and disappeared between Jiang Chen’s brows.
A massive torrent of information flooded Jiang Chen’s mind.
’North Nether Divine Fist, a Demigod-Level Martial Skill!’
The corners of Jiang Chen’s mouth lifted into a satisfied smile. Under the Kun’s furious gaze, he puffed out his chest, held his head high, and strode forward. "Well, Senior, are you coming? I can’t wait to enter the Mystic Sect!"
The Kun: "I... @#$%...!"
As Jiang Chen followed the Kun toward the Mystic Sect, far away in the distant land of Zhongzhou...
Atop the majestic Heaven-Reaching Divine Peak, within a grand palace, an ancient and weathered laugh echoed from inside a floating Bronze Ancient Coffin...
"Brat, you haven’t disappointed me after all!"