An incomparably intense bolt of Sword Aura stretched across the void.
It was a Sword Aura imbued with destructive power, enough to annihilate a Lower Grade Dynasty.
If the Ice Emperor were to act without restraint, unleashing the Spirit-Slaying Sword with his full power, a single strike would be enough to obliterate the entire Saint Martial Dynasty!
"Jiang Chen, die!"
The Ice Emperor's eyes flashed with glee and madness, and he cackled sinisterly.
Ever since Jiang Chen had extorted the Profound Celestial Mother Marrow from him back in the Profound Celestial Ancestral Land, the Ice Emperor had been furious.
On top of that...
Back in the Six Mountains Dynasty, the appearance of the Cyan Ox Child had caused him to lose a Mysterious Dharma Body.
It was also because of Jiang Chen that he had been unable to enter the Mystic Sect and obtain the Demigod inheritance.
Forced into a corner, he had to resort to the forbidden technique of a mass blood sacrifice to ascend to the Demigod Realm. All of this was more than enough to make Jiang Chen a thorn in his side, one he wished he could grind to dust.
And now, 'my wish is finally coming true!'
"Anyone who dares to oppose me has only one path—death! Hahaha..." the Ice Emperor cackled.
However, just as the world-ending sword strike was about to slay Jiang Chen, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.
It was a blood-red treasure wheel!
The blood-red treasure wheel erupted with an overwhelming crimson light. Raging rivers of blood surged forth, forming a barrier in front of Jiang Chen. The supreme Sword Aura of the Spirit-Slaying Sword faltered for a moment as the bloody light corroded it.
BOOM!
As the bloody light flared, the treasure wheel was blasted back.
The immense, blood-red wheel shrank to the size of a bamboo hat and landed in the Asura Blood Emperor's hand.
With a cold expression, the Asura Blood Emperor held the treasure wheel and stood before Jiang Chen. He tilted his head up slightly, glaring at the grim-faced Ice Emperor. "If you want to kill Jiang Chen, you'll have to get through me first!"
A heaven-piercing battle intent erupted from him.
As the strongest among the surviving Emperor Realm experts of the old Mystic Sect, the Asura Blood Emperor had also been the Direct Disciple of the Sect Leader.
He knew full well the immense price the Mystic Sect Leader had paid to protect the Eastern Continent. To the Asura Blood Emperor, the Eastern Continent was his homeland and his roots; he would never allow anyone to destroy it.
Even knowing he was no match for the Demigod Ice Emperor, he stepped forward without a second thought.
"Asura, are you determined to oppose me?" the Ice Emperor said, narrowing his eyes and enunciating each word.
A wave of Divine Aura crashed down on him.
The Asura Blood Emperor's body trembled slightly, but he snorted coldly. "Back then, the Sect Leader was willing to give his life to protect the Eastern Continent. Anyone who endangers this land is my mortal enemy."
"You're simply courting death!" the Ice Emperor growled, his face dark.
"Heh, and you have me to deal with!"
A gentle voice sounded as the Celestial Secret Elder strode through the air. He was carrying a head, dripping with fresh blood. The elder tossed Emperor Feixue's head toward the Ice Emperor, a fiery battle intent erupting from his frail body. "I owe young Jiang Chen a favor. If you want to hurt him, you'll have to get through me first!"
"And me!"
Emperor Ping Shan strode through the air.
"I, Gai Jinlong, will not retreat!" Bathed in blood after having slain Long Chan, Gai Jinlong stepped forward with a cold expression, shielding Jiang Chen.
Demon Flames Towering to Heaven raged around the Demon Emperor. Like a peerless Demon Venerable, he stood before Jiang Chen and declared, "I owe him my life!"
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The sound of figures slicing through the air echoed from the distance. It was Gai Shi, Arhat, Zhao Hongluan, Jian Lingkong, Tuoba Yan, and the others.
They all positioned themselves in front of Jiang Chen.
Their faces were all filled with fiery, unyielding determination.
"As long as we're here, the Eastern Continent is protected!"
"If you want to kill Jiang Chen, you'll have to step over our dead bodies!"
The experts roared one after another.
Jiang Chen managed to pry open one eye. Supported by Gai Shi, he looked at the figures standing before him, his heart filled with a wave of gratitude.
"Th-thank you, everyone," Jiang Chen said weakly.
The Celestial Secret Elder chuckled. "Little one, we're all old men. The future of the Eastern Continent rests on your shoulders. So what if we die in battle? As long as you all live, there is hope for our continent!"
The Asura Blood Emperor nodded and said grimly, "In a moment, we will hold back the Ice Emperor. You must use that chance to escape. Leave the Eastern Continent, and go as far away as you possibly can!"
One by one, the experts spoke.
Though their words sounded casual, Jiang Chen could sense their deathly resolve.
They all understood that facing an Ice Emperor who had reached the Demigod Realm, they stood no chance of victory.
Every one of them embraced the certainty of death, willing to pay with their lives to leave behind a sliver of hope, a chance of survival for the Eastern Continent!
"No, I'm not leaving…" Jiang Chen said, gritting his teeth.
Gai Shi said, "I want to fight alongside you!"
"So what if we die?"
Jian Lingkong, Arhat, and the others chimed in.
The Asura Blood Emperor glared at them and roared, "If you don't leave, then our Eastern Continent will truly be without hope! Listen to me… We die today so that you can one day return to slay the Ice Emperor, restore peace to the countless souls of the Eastern Continent, and give them a future filled with hope!"
The Asura Blood Emperor's roar still echoed in the air.
At the same time, Gai Jinlong let out a great roar. "Elders, I'll lead the way!"
BOOM!
He instantly burned his Martial Soul and Essence Blood, transforming into two crimson streaks that shot toward the Ice Emperor.
"Throwing your life away? Hmph, you don't know your own limits!" the Ice Emperor sneered.
Two gigantic palms of ice slammed toward the heavens.
BOOM! BOOM!
Gai Jinlong's body abruptly exploded, like a sun made of blood.
"Hahaha, I'm coming too!"
"And me!"
The Demon Emperor and Emperor Ping Shan shot into the sky together. Both were veteran Emperor Realm masters, and they simultaneously burned their Martial Souls and Essence Blood. They charged the Ice Emperor, and despite his tyrannical power, he was unable to stop them from self-destructing right next to him.
RUMBLE...
The heavens seemed to be annihilated, the very void shattering.
The Ice Emperor let out a furious roar. His robes were blasted to shreds, and a crack even appeared on his Divine Body. Blood rained down from his wounds as he bellowed with bloodshot eyes, "Damn it! You ants! All of you, just die!"
RUMBLE!
Fueled by Divine Power, the Spirit-Slaying Sword unleashed a Destructive Sword Aura tens of thousands of feet long, sweeping across the battlefield.
"I suppose it's my turn now!"
The Celestial Secret Elder glanced at Jiang Chen and smiled. "Little one, I'll give you one last divination for free—Zhongzhou is the place of your Golden Scale Dragon Transformation!"
ROAR!
The Celestial Secret Elder clapped his hands together. A blood-red light surged around him as a gigantic mountain peak shattered the void—it was the majestic Celestial Secret Mountain. Summoning the mountain, the elder charged toward the Ice Emperor. Celestial Secret Mountain collided with the Destructive Sword Aura and both were annihilated, the peak exploding into fragments. With death in his eyes, the Celestial Secret Elder lunged for the Ice Emperor.
His cultivation was only a step away from the Demigod Realm. By putting his life on the line, he managed to tie up the Ice Emperor, preventing him from retaliating.
The Asura Blood Emperor took a deep breath. He held his Blood Light Treasure Wheel and looked at Jiang Chen's group. "Jiang Chen, the hope and survival of the Eastern Continent are in your hands now. Don't let our sacrifices be in vain…"
BOOM!
The Asura Blood Emperor shot into the sky. "Ice Emperor, let's settle this with our lives!"
RUMBLE...
High in the sky, bloody light pulsed as a torrent of blood rained down.
The Asura Blood Emperor and the Celestial Secret Elder, both drenched in blood, were locked in a brutal, desperate battle with the Ice Emperor.
Gai Shi's eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body trembled. "What do we do?"
Everyone looked at Jiang Chen.
Bathed in the falling drops of blood, his eyes blurring with what could have been blood or tears, Jiang Chen clenched his jaw. "We can't let Elder Asura and the others die in vain! Don't resist. I'll pull you all into the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle. I have a way for us to escape!"
"Alright!"
Everyone nodded and allowed Jiang Chen to pull them into the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.
He took out the Mystic Sect Leader's Token.
High in the sky, the Ice Emperor, who was currently fighting two opponents at once, had his expression change drastically. "The Mystic Sect Leader's Order? Damn it, he's trying to escape! Dragon Emperor, what are you waiting for? Stop that brat!"
"Yes!"
The Dragon Emperor and his men snapped to their senses and charged toward Jiang Chen.
However...
They were a step too slow.
HUMMM!
A brilliant radiance burst from the Mystic Sect Leader's Order, enveloping Jiang Chen and preventing the Dragon Emperor's group from getting near. A Void Passage materialized behind him, slowly swallowing his body. His bloodstained eyes watched as the Ice Emperor captured the Asura Blood Emperor and the Celestial Secret Elder, then beheaded them both with the Spirit-Slaying Sword.
Jiang Chen's heart felt like it was bleeding. He took one last look at the Eastern Continent, the land of his birth, before spitting out a mouthful of Essence Blood. Igniting the blood with two fingers, his resonant and solemn voice echoed between heaven and earth…
"Ice Emperor! I, Jiang Chen, swear upon my soul today! The day I return to the Eastern Continent is the day I will make the East run red with your blood!"
Let the East run red!
Those five words, filled with towering hatred and icy killing intent, echoed relentlessly in everyone's ears.
Like a nightmare, they instilled a deep sense of unease.
The Ice Emperor's killing intent surged. He wanted to stop Jiang Chen, but it was too late. He could only watch with bitter fury and icy murderous rage as Jiang Chen was devoured by the Void Passage.
「At that moment...」
On the Profound Celestial Ice Field, there was a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The Ice Emperor, the Dragon Emperor, and the others all felt a profound sense of unease and foreboding. Jiang Chen's voice lingered like a nightmare that refused to fade. They knew the Ice Emperor had ascended to the Demigod Realm, and that within a century, he would help the Dragon Emperor do the same. Yet, deep in their hearts, a sliver of intense anxiety had quietly taken root.
The seeds sown today would one day be repaid in blood...