Sovereign of the Three Realms

The hostility in the atmosphere was palpable as everyone had their blades drawn. But when Jiang Chen suddenly burst into laughter, the ambience turned awkward.

“Brat, what are you so pleased about when your death is near at hand?” Gong Wuji glared at Jiang Chen.

Elder Hao didn’t bother sniping at Gong Wuji this time, casting an angry look at Jiang Chen. His countenance was the very picture of deep hatred and bitterness. “Jiang Chen, were you the one who killed our sect’s true disciple Cao Jin?”

The simultaneous questions from the two mid emperor realm cultivators was accompanied by a surge of emperor realm aura that weighed down on Jiang Chen like the Taihang mountain range and Mt. Wangwu. 1

Even the cultivators surrounding him felt their breathing hitch and their movements flag, as if the might of heaven and earth were weighing down on them, much less than Jiang Chen. All eyes were on him. They were also curious to know if the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s true disciple had truly died in Jiang Chen’s hands. If that was indeed the case, then this brat was really too perverse! True disciples—especially those at the level of the ten great true disciples—were all at peak sage realm. Some were even half step emperor realm.

Those from the Great Scarlet Mid Region fourth rank sects suddenly developed a trace of apprehension in their hearts. The invasion of the Myriad Domain had supposed to be a steamrolling massacre, a delightful journey of annihilation. It was exactly because of the appearance of Jiang Chen that this joyful, plundering excursion had become overcast. If they failed to eliminate Jiang Chen today and allowed him ample time to develop, an unfathomable calamity would befall the sects of the Great Scarlet Mid Region.

This was especially true for the heads of the Thunder Note Hall and the Great Roc Sect. They cast encouraging glances at each other—they had to uproot this potential threat today no matter the cost! They were also secretly delighted at the same time. Fortunately, Jiang Chen had offended both first rank sects with his insufferable arrogance. It would be difficult to survive after drawing the attention of both Gong Wuji and Elder Hao!

“Brat, do you think I have no means to verify the truth as long as you don’t admit to it?” Cao Meng glared at Jiang Chen with eyes full of killing intent.

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, “And who the hell are you?”

Cao Meng was greatly incensed upon hearing this. If it wasn’t for Elder Hao repeatedly warning him about the Jiang Chen’s significance in the grand scheme of things, he would’ve killed the latter with one grand move already. He took a deep breath in. Glaring daggers at Jiang Chen, he grimly enunciated word by word, “Brat, listen up! Cao Jin is my nephew. I can immediately tell if you’ve killed a member of my Cao clan. Don’t even think about denying it!”

Jiang Chen slapped his forehead, “Then that means you’re Cao Jin’s elder?”

“Trying to kiss up to me, brat? Stop playing such tricks before it’s too late!” Cao Meng snorted coldly.

“You’re thinking too much. I just wanted to tell you that I was indeed the one who killed Cao Jin along with another fatty and a pill master.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly and was actually rather calm while admitting to the murders.

A layer of frost instantly crept over Cao Meng’s face. His eyes erupted with violent intent as he cited repeatedly, “Good, good, good… brat, it’s good that you admit to things!”

Jiang Chen replied leisurely, “Oh and by the way, that Ding Tong is also one of yours right? I also killed him. Oh right, I almost forgot about the agent you planted in my Regal Pill Palace. He thought himself well hidden, but he’d long since been exposed. After entering the Paramount Realm, I conveniently sent him on his way.”

Elder Hao was shaken after he heard the words ‘Paramount Realm’ and hissed, “You killed Jun Mobai?!”

“You can put it that way,” Jiang Chen raised his hand and gestured toward everyone present, “Similarly, I have to shoulder the responsibility for all your deaths today. Do I make myself clear?”

Everyone was stunned. Cao Meng laughed heartily, “Brat, you’re having quite the pleasant dream in broad daylight!”

Gong Wuji shouted, “Don’t waste words with this brat. Suppress him first and let’s discuss things later!”

Elder Hao also nodded—he was somewhat taken aback after hearing Jiang Chen’s claims—a rush of agitation surged through his heart for unknown reasons. This kind of sensation wasn’t reasonable. However, a baffling sense of urgency had also materialized abruptly and inconceivably within his consciousness. He formed a resolute thought at that very moment. He would suppress Jiang Chen first and deal with the Eternal Celestial Capital later!

“Ole brother Cao and ole brother Sun, restrain that brat first!” Elder Hao transmitted towards Cao Meng and the cultivator surnamed Sun. All emperor realm cultivators suddenly found a clear target in the form of Jiang Chen and began to approach him.

Jiang Chen performed a series of hand seals with a single maneuver in the next moment, transforming the entire world.

“Eh? What just happened?”

“Oh no! It’s a formation!”

“Where’s that brat?!” Everyone tensed up as the inconceivable had happened. Jiang Chen really had no shortage of tricks up his sleeve and had even able to activate a formation right under their eyes. Activating a formation usually necessitated certain deployment procedures and some traces of it would be observable at the site. However, they definitely hadn’t discovered such clues in the vicinity.

Gong Wuji gestured while shouting, “Don’t move around recklessly. This formation isn’t simple!”

The emperor realm cultivators behind him didn’t dare lower their guard. Elder Hao and Elder Meng’s party were off to one side, searching for Jiang Chen.

“Ole brother Cao, this little rogue actually has this level of method! It must be a powerful formation disk that can immediately simulate a formation,” Elder Hao warned. “We must be careful.”

Two masses of dark energy swept toward them like a tornado across the ground just as they were speaking. A somewhat startled Elder Hao worked in concert with Cao Meng to release a series of palm strikes. Powerful energy was thrust out amidst thunderous roars, sallying forth to meet the two incoming attacks head on.

Boom!

The released energy shot through the void but connected with nothing. The two shadowy masses, resembling venomous dragons, vanished with a flicker. The energy they released bombarded Gong Wuji’s camp.

Thump! Thump! Two initial emperor realm cultivators were suddenly struck amidst dazzling lights, sending their qi and blood into turmoil.

“Hao, what’s the meaning of this?!” Gong Wuji was greatly incensed. Although he clearly saw what had happened and knew it was likely a misunderstanding, he couldn’t sit by after seeing his men wounded.

Elder Hao sneered, “You’re not blind. Didn’t you see what happened?”

Cao Meng snorted coldly and didn’t even bother to explain, as if it was all right and proper. It didn’t matter to him whether the injury was accidental or intentional. Fortunately, Gong Wuji’s primary focus was on Jiang Chen. He only glared at the two without further debate and sniffed coldly, “Watch yourselves.”

Gong Wuji was extremely frustrated right now. He had previously received reports that Jiang Chen was somewhat proficient in formations, and that his level of expertise wasn’t particularly high. The formations he deployed formerly were only at a stage capable of causing some disruption, far from being able to trap enemies within. But as things stood, it seemed that their intelligence had grossly underestimated Jiang Chen’s talent in formations!

He was simply a devil!

Fortunately, Jiang Chen would also be unable to escape under the powerful suppressive effects of their emperor realm domain. Gong Wuji still had a restriction talisman in hand that could restrain Jiang Chen, should the latter attempt to use an escape talisman. Although the formation was extremely profound, it was obviously still an illusory formation without any destructive power. Gong Wuji’s sharp eyes swiftly discerned a few of the formation’s characteristics. He sent a mental message to his subordinates, “Don’t panic. This is only an illusory formation without any offensive power. We can break out as soon as we find its core.”

He also observed Elder Hao’s party slowly arrive at a similar conclusion. After all, they had three mid emperor realm cultivators on their side who possessed more or less the same powers of observation as Gong Wuji.

“Ole brother Cao, this Jiang Chen is truly perverse. I suspect the fortune that our sects had been seeking for thousands of years is already in his hands,” Elder Hao sent Cao Meng a voice transmission.

Cao Meng was overwhelmed, “How can that be? This brat doesn’t look at all like the heir of Emperor Featherflight’s legacy at all. Moreover, according to legends, the fortune that Emperor Featherflight obtained doesn’t have much to do with formations.”

Elder Hao also felt there was something amiss with this reasoning and gave it much thought. But, he still felt that there was no other way apart from this fortuitous encounter for the Myriad Domain to rear such a perverse talent like Jiang Chen.

“Ole brother Cao, do you still remember how an unusual phenomenon once appeared in the Myriad Domain a few years ago? An inspector of the Ninesuns Sky Sect was also visiting the sixteen kingdom alliance that day. The phenomenon was almost fully concentrated around the Precious Tree Sect, and it so happens that Jiang Chen was at the Precious Tree Sect that day!”

Cao Meng also felt rather skeptical after hearing Elder Hao’s words. “Is that really the case? If so, we have to capture this brat at all costs!”

The two arrived at a tacit understanding and became even more resolute.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen and Huang’er were standing side by side at a hidden part of the formation.

“Sir Jiang, I think I’ve seen you use this formation before. Although the mysteries remain the same, it appears to have become more than ten times more powerful,” Huang’er was greatly puzzled.

How could the same formation have undergone such an absurd degree of change? This went against all convention. Jiang Chen laughed and explained honestly. “There are two formations that follow the same path of theory.”

The one Huang’er had seen before was the Minor Artifice Formation. Jiang Chen had simulated the formation using its formation disk. It was able to slightly confuse sage realm cultivators at most. But this current one was the Major Artifice Formation, one of the ten powerful formations of the Crimson Heavens formation disk. Jiang Chen was only able to draw on a twenty percent of its power. It was insufficient to entrap and kill emperor realm experts, but more than capable of confusing them.

After all, the Crimson Heavens formation disk, along with the medallion and the formation flag were the three core treasures of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. As a legacy treasure of an ancient sect, even twenty percent of its might was sufficient to deal with these people. But much to Jiang Chen’s chagrin, he had able to only simulate the Greater Artifice Formation from the formation disk and nothing else. Because this formation was an extension of the Minor Artifice Formation, its complexity was the same.

That was also the reason why Jiang Chen was able to wield twenty percent of its power. As for the remaining nine powerful formations of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect, it was impossible for him to activate them with his current strength. Jiang Chen laughed after checking the time. “It seems these mid emperor realm cultivators do deserve their reputation. They’re about to find the core. This formation can’t hold them after all!”

The formation disk was activated again just as he was speaking. Slight changes ripped through the Great Artifice Formation.

1. These are very impressive, grand mountains/ranges in China.