Chapter 85: Plunging into the Forbidden Zone without Hesitation
His strength, it still wasn’t enough.
Faced with desperate circ.u.mstances, and armed with the will of a boulder, he could no longer worry about the small things.. The true qi in his body was all concentrated on the nameless treasured blade.
“Treasured blade, I barely caught a glimpse of the pa.s.sing beauty that was your splendor that night. The spirit strength that pa.s.sed as quickly as a white pony’s shadow across a crevice, the aura that once pierced the stars, the secret that palpated hearts… will you awaken at this moment?”
Jiang Chen had thrown all the random thoughts in his mind to the back of his mind in this moment of life and death.
Whether he lived or died would be decided in this pivotal moment.
The true qi within his body surging up like the tidewaters, as he circulated the true qi currents of the “Secret of the Nine Laughing Oceans” to the utmost.
Coalescing nine meridians true qi as one.
Surging to the treasured blade in his hand.
“Second form of Vast Ocean Current Splitter - Wave Breaker”
At this moment, an astounding scene happened. That simple and unadorned nameless saber suddenly awoke — like an ancient deity reviving from its slumber, breaking free of the shackles of heaven and earth, and trampling the rivers and mountains of the world.
The dusky splendor of stars and a dim sun and moon.
In that moment, the vast waves true qi around the nameless blade concentrated into the vague shape of a deity from time immemorial, holding the skies and the earth.
The aura of this stroke was as if it carried the representation of the ancient deity — as if it held the terrifying power to destroy the heavens and earth.
A crisp crack sounded out twice.
The blades had connected. Under the edge of the nameless saber, the golden runes on Long Yinye’s broadsword flickered out like a candle being snuffed, and the shadow of the grimacing five clawed dragon was as if scattered by the wind.
A crisp sound like ripping silk rang out from Long Juxue’s azure phoenix short sword.
True qi drained out in the next moment.
Long Yinye’s broadsword cracked in the middle, breaking into two pieces.
Long Juxue’s azure phoenix short sword had been broken into many pieces, and been turned into sc.r.a.p metal.
As for the nameless saber, its remaining prestige was ceaseless. The sounds of the blade howling were emitted in continuous succession as beams of bright light emanated from it, completely unharmed.
Long Yinye was dumbfounded. Long Juxue was similarly dumbfounded.
Even Jiang Chen was quite astonished by this scene. It was obviously outside of his expectations. One had to know, his opponents were using spirit weapons.
Even true qi masters couldn’t dream of obtaining a spirit weapon.
“Die!” The boss killer’s long readied arrow shot towards Jiang Chen at the best possible timing.
The perfect moment, an incomparable arrow.
It had inserted itself into this delicate timing without the slightest error.
Jiang Chen’s strike had been deployed. Although he’d broken through the blows from the Long siblings’ spirit weapons, he still couldn’t avoid this terrifying arrow.
The arrowhead crashed viciously into Jiang Chen’s chest. Although the strong true qi still didn’t pierce through the Skysilk Soft Armor, it still sent Jiang Chen flying.
The arrow that Jiang Chen had taken before was on his back.
This arrow connected solidly with the crucial area of his chest. As he was sent flying, fresh blood spewed wildly. Every meridian was invaded by strong true qi, as if he’d been electrocuted, nearly destroying every single one.
It was a good thing that the soft armor had already blocked more than half of the power.
Jiang Chen had also spent a lot of effort during normal times to strengthen his meridians, and had used unique methods to forge them, nurturing them with spirit medicine over long periods of time.
This was why his meridians weren’t churned to pieces.
However, even if they weren’t churned to pieces, they were heavily injured, and could no longer circulate the slightest bit of true qi.
After he landed, Jiang Chen almost couldn’t catch his breath. He vomited up three mouthfuls of fresh blood in a row and finally crawled up, sustained by burning his life energy. His body jerked as he ran in a stumbling dash into the endless darkness.
“After him.”
Long Yinye was the first to rush over, with Long Juxue close behind him. The emotions of the two at the moment were both astounded and enraged. They had prepared so long for this time, and had even brought out their spirit weapons. They had thought that they could easily crush Jiang Chen.
Who would’ve thought that the two spirit weapons would be made worthless by Jiang Chen’s una.s.suming blade.
The boss killer of the Hidden Hand was in no panic or rush, always keeping his calm as he rounded up the rear, chasing at an appropriate speed.
Ever since Jiang Chen had entered their ambush zone, he’d had a unique way to plant some sort of brand on Jiang Chen’s body, making it so that no matter where Jiang Chen walked, he would be unable to shake off the killer’s pursuit.
He’d been unconcerned about losing Jiang Chen previously, and was naturally even less rushed now that Jiang Chen had been severely hurt, and could fall down at any time.
“To think that Jiang Chen’s blade is that strong and domineering, thoroughly trouncing two spirit weapons. I must have it. These Long siblings…” A killing intent flashed through the boss killer’s heart. Even if the Long siblings were to do something impetuous within the Boundless Catacombs, he wouldn’t mind getting rid of them.
The desire of all the pract.i.tioners in the world held for a divine weapon was enough to drive someone mad.
Even spirit weapons were unable to contend with Jiang Chen’s blade. This was enough for the boss killer to take the risk of forming the intention to kill the Long siblings.
“Jiang Chen, you can’t escape!”
Although Long Yinye’s spirit weapon had been destroyed, his didn’t lose his footing.
“We’ve already surrounded the way out of here. If you continue any further, that’ll be the taboo area. You have no path to heaven, and no way to fly through the earth.”
Jiang Chen was actually also pouring out his grievances as he ran. He was already dancing on the edge between the third and fourth level beneath his feet right now.
With every few hundred meters he took, he could deeply feel that he had entered a terrifying abyss.
The frightening aura exuded by the fringes of the fourth level, the subtle terrifying presence, was already enough to cause all of Jiang Chen’s hairs to involuntarily stand on end.
“You mustn’t set foot into and beyond the fourth level at any costs. That is a forbidden zone. Countless numbers of geniuses have once brashly ventured in, and still no one has ever emerged. The odds would be stacked against even a spirit dao pract.i.tioner. So remember this well, remember this very well!”
Princess Gouyu’s repeated admonishments from that day seemed to ring by within Jiang Chen’s ears.
Proceeding further would be entering the fourth level, the forbidden zone.
Even when spirit dao pract.i.tioners had entered, their way was fraught with grim possibilities. No one below the realm of spirit dao had ever walked out again.
But, to turn back?
The way back led to the Long siblings, who were eying him like tigers to prey.
There was also a frightening cold blooded killer.
Any of those three could kill the heavily injured Jiang Chen as easily as snuffing out an ant.
Proceeding forward was the forbidden zone of the fourth level. There basically would be no return from it. Yet, retreating and finding the way back was already barred. Those three would never let him off.
There were only these two choices left for Jiang Chen. Either of them seemed to lead to death and desperation.
“Haha, Jiang Chen, why aren’t you running anymore? Keep going.” Long Yinye’s vision could already catch sight of the Jiang Chen circling around the fringes of the fourth level.
“Jiang Chen, I’ve said that you must die for fighting against my Soaring Dragon.”
Jiang Chen’s gaze s.h.i.+fted. The boss killer had also arrived within five hundred meters of his vision.
“Long siblings, I want to say first that the blade in Jiang Chen’s hand will belong to me.” A domineering sense that was beyond all question suffused the boss killer’s tone.
“Belongs to you? On what basis? You seek to take advantage of the situation to profiteer with four times your usual rate already?” Long Yinye was outraged.
“Heh heh, young duke Long. If you don’t agree, I still have a hundred ways to obtain this blade, and can make your hunting plan all for naught as well.” The killer’s tone was leisurely.
“You!” A violent light peaked in Long Yinye’s eyes.
“Forget it. When I enter the sect in the future, a spirit weapon will be nothing much.” Long Juxue understood the importance of observing the times and judging the occasion.
“Haha, Miss Juxue is highly educated and reasonable alright. Then it’s happily decided. Jiang Chen is a rat in a case now, he can’t get away.”
Jiang Chen’s face was expressionless as he gaze swept fully across the three of them. “I’ve remembered you. Come on in as well if you want to kill me. Don’t forget that the day I, Jiang Chen, reappear is the moment that you will pay back ten, a hundred times.”
With that said, Jiang Chen’s feet pushed off the ground as he rushed into the darkness. He didn’t even turn his head back as he rushed towards the forbidden zone of the fourth level.
“This… Jiang Chen, you’re dead without a doubt if you go in!” Long Yinye called out.
“Jiang Chen, if you come out, we promise not to involve your family clan. Only death awaits you if you still insist on going in. We will be certain to bathe Jiang Han manor in blood afterwards.” Long Juxue knew the strategy of attacking the heart.
A bloodbath at Jiang Han manor?
Jiang Chen’s heart shuddered vaguely, but remained as solid as a boulder, resolutely rus.h.i.+ng into the depths of the forbidden zone.
Would they let the Jiang Han manor off the hook if he surrendered?
Just like a promise from a tiger to a lamb, there was no credibility in it at all.
“Father, my apologies. To think that after my reincarnation, I would still be unable to help Jiang Han walk out from a difficult situation?” A few traces of bitterness were found in Jiang Chen’s smile.
“Ai, this kid is quite stubborn.” The boss killer also sighed.
Long Yinye said wrathfully, “And isn’t it all because of you? If you hadn’t mentioned killing him and taking his blade, it might not have been enough to upset him enough to take this path.”
“Heh heh, young duke Long, your words demonstrate that you don’t understand your opponent at all. Pardon my candor, if it wasn’t for the situation of today, the Duke of Soaring Dragon’s position of first duke beneath the heavens was sure to be lost if you had competed with Jiang Chen in an open and straightforward way.”
The boss killer’s tone was bluntly candid.
“You…” Long Yinye flared into a burst of anger.
“Forget it, what’s the use of quarreling with mouth and tongue? Should we unite together and continue pursuing him, or guard this place?” Long Juxue spoke up and mediated.
“If you don’t want to live any longer, you can pursue him inside. But I won’t keep you company.” The boss killer hadn’t lost his composure even when his underlings had been killed. However, when his gaze looked into that yawning blackness with no end that was the fourth level, he actually revealed the hint of a wary and shocked look.
“Then do we keep waiting like this?” Long Yinye asked out of sorts. “We don’t have that much time to wait.”
“I can wait.” The boss killer smiled faintly. “The payment of four times the usual rate is unchanged. I’ll wait here a few months”
“How do we know that you won’t go easy on him?” Long Yinye laughed coldly.
“Go easy? One, I never go easy once I’ve accepted payment. Two, am I waiting for him to grow up and get his revenge if I go easy on him? Third, I want his blade.”
Any one of these three reasons were enough.
Finally, both sides agreed that the boss killer would take up watch here to prevent Jiang Chen from escaping.
Long Juxue didn’t actually suspect that the boss killer wouldn’t keep his word. She was well aware that this person was selfish. As long as he didn’t lose interest in Jiang Chen’s blade, he would definitely not leave.
Of course, there was no point in waiting for a long time. No one could make it past three days within the forbidden zone of the fourth level.
Their agreement was to wait for a month. That was enough.
“Long siblings, I hope that the payment of four times the usual rate will have already arrived when I leave. You must be aware of what I would do if it hasn’t.” The boss killer reminded faintly.
Long Yinye snorted coldly but was dragged away by Long Juxue as the two walked outside.