Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Before Jiang Chen’s eyes,

a behemoth appeared on the vast, seemingly endless horizon.

It stretched for countless thousands of miles, like an Ancient Divine Dragon coiled upon the horizon. Its towering walls were covered in the ravages of time and the scars of war.

This was a colossal city that had existed for over ten thousand years!

Though the regime of the Celestial Fate Dynasty had changed hands several times, this, the largest Imperial Capital in the Cloud Domain, showed no signs of decline.

Instead, it grew more prosperous with each passing day!

’The Saint Martial Dynasty is just a Lower Grade Dynasty. It truly can’t compare to an Upper Grade Dynasty!’ Jiang Chen gazed at the towering walls, the bustling crowds, and the massive roads and gates built wide enough for hundreds of people to walk abreast, feeling an indescribable sense of shock.

The Black Emperor, perched on his shoulder, looked up with a pitiful expression. ”Jiang Chen, for the past ten-some days, I’ve eaten nothing but dry rations! I haven’t tasted a single bite of fresh meat. You have to take me out for a feast later!”

”...”

Jiang Chen was speechless. ”I wouldn’t dare. The last time I took you to eat in the Saint Martial Dynasty’s Imperial Capital, we attracted a mountain of trouble. How about this? I’m heading straight to the Jiuhua Celestial Sect. Didn’t I give you some Spirit Crystals? Go find a place to eat and drink your fill, and meet me at the Jiuhua Celestial Sect’s gates before dark!”

”Alright!”

The Black Emperor nodded excitedly.

His eyes shone as they darted back and forth, already scheming about where to go.

Jiang Chen shook his head, exasperated.

He landed outside the city and began walking toward the Celestial Fate Imperial City.

「A short while later...」

The number of pedestrians around him began to increase.

Jiang Chen blended into the crowd. As he walked along, a small boy suddenly darted out from the throng.

He was chasing a kite with a broken string, his immature, high-pitched voice shouting, ”My kite, my kite...”

”Xiaobao, don’t run so fast...” Behind the little boy, an honest-looking, middle-aged man chased anxiously after him.

”Oof!”

The boy named Xiaobao accidentally tripped and fell.

He landed right in front of Jiang Chen.

He clutched the broken-stringed kite tightly in his chubby little hand as he scrambled back to his feet. Ignoring the dust covering his face and clothes, he flashed an innocent grin and waved at the sweating middle-aged man who had been chasing him. ”Daddy, look! I got the kite back! Hehe...”

”You little rascal. Look at the mess you’ve made of yourself, all dirty like a little beggar.”

The middle-aged man wore an expression of fond exasperation. He patted the dust off Xiaobao’s clothes, his face filled with kindness and concern. ”Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Xiaobao grinned. ”It doesn’t hurt at all! Daddy, look, the kite is still okay. Xiaobao is amazing, right?”

”Amazing. My Xiaobao is the most amazing!” the middle-aged man said with a resigned sigh, booping the boy’s nose.

”Hehe...”

Xiaobao laughed happily.

The man lifted the boy onto his shoulders. Noticing Jiang Chen watching them, he paused, then gave Jiang Chen a nod. ”My apologies, sir. The boy is a bit wild. I hope he didn’t disturb you?”

Jiang Chen’s sharp, black attire had been specially prepared for him by Sima Qingling.

It looked expensive at a glance.

The man dared not risk offending such a personage!

Jiang Chen smiled. ”Not at all. Xiaobao is very cute!”

”Hehe! See, Daddy? The big brother thinks Xiaobao is cute too!” Riding on his father’s shoulders, Xiaobao grinned at Jiang Chen and said in a clear voice, ”Big brother, can you praise Xiaobao one more time? Daddy always says I’m naughty like a wild monkey and that no one would ever think I’m cute and well-behaved!”

”Haha, alright. Xiaobao is the most well-behaved!” Jiang Chen said with a gentle smile.

The middle-aged man looked completely helpless.

After exchanging a few more words, the man continued on his way with Xiaobao on his shoulders.

An ordinary man like him knew his place; he dared not interact too much with someone dressed so extravagantly.

Jiang Chen didn’t think much of it.

He continued on his way.

Suddenly, a clamor erupted from behind him. The urgent sound of galloping hooves sent the crowd on the road into a panic, with everyone scrambling to the sides.

”Hurry, it’s the disciples from the Jiuhua Celestial Sect!”

”That’s Jian Yulou, the number one expert of the Jiuhua Celestial Sect’s Outer Sect! He’s a Union Palace Realm master at only twenty-one! Don’t get in his way, or you’ll die a miserable death!”

The crowd quickly parted.

Jiang Chen frowned. Although he disliked the arrogance of these Jiuhua Celestial Sect disciples, he had no intention of starting trouble and moved to the side as well.

A procession of ten Profound Blood Warhorses galloped past.

These were Tier Three Level Demon Beasts, each one capable of traveling thousands of miles in a single day and worth a fortune.

The Jiuhua Celestial Sect disciples rode their Profound Blood Warhorses recklessly down the wide road, kicking up clouds of dust and earning resentful mutters from the bystanders. ”Damn it, this road is so wide, they could have just slowed down and kept to one side. Why the hell are they going so fast? Are they in a hurry to die and be reincarnated?”

”Keep your voice down! The one in the lead is Jian Yulou, an expert from the Jiuhua Celestial Sect’s Inner Sect. He holds a noble title in the dynasty. Even if he killed us, no one would dare to intervene!”

”Sigh... in the eyes of these Martial Artists, we’re just ants they can crush at will.”

The pedestrians sighed one after another.

Such was this world: the strong preyed on the weak.

Jiang Chen shook his head as well. He was well aware of the arrogant and domineering behavior of disciples from these Major Sects.

However...

He wasn’t a saint; it wasn’t his job to police the entire world!

As long as he wasn’t provoked, he rarely played the hero trying to maintain world peace.

As he continued walking, a commotion suddenly erupted up ahead, where a crowd had gathered.

Even though the crowd kept their voices down, their words still reached Jiang Chen’s ears clearly. ”These Jiuhua Celestial Sect disciples are going too far! The kid was just chasing his kite and accidentally got in their way. For them to do this... it’s just hateful...”

”They have no humanity!”

”Kite? A child?”

Jiang Chen froze. The image of the bright, adorable Xiaobao surfaced in his mind.

His heart sank, and he pushed his way through the crowd.

「In the center of the crowd...」

The dozen or so Jiuhua Celestial Sect disciples were on their Profound Blood Warhorses, riding the tall steeds in a circle, circling again and again.

The thudding of hooves on the ground was heart-shaking.

In the center of the circle of disciples knelt a middle-aged man covered in blood, kowtowing and begging for mercy. The honest-looking man had cast aside all his dignity, repeatedly slamming his head on the ground before the disciples. ”My lords, I beg you, please let Xiaobao go! He’s just a child, he doesn’t know any better! I beg you, please release him!”

”Daddy, Daddy, save me...”

A disciple at the Heavenly Destiny Realm Ninth Stage was dangling Xiaobao in his hand. The boy’s face was streaked with tears as he cried out.

”Xiaobao, don’t be afraid! Daddy will save you!” the middle-aged man said, trying to comfort him while continuing to kowtow. The heart-wrenching THUD THUD of his head hitting the ground was incessant. ”My lords, we know we were wrong! Just let Xiaobao go, and I’ll work for you like a beast of burden!”

”A beast of burden? The grounds of our Jiuhua Celestial Sect are Spiritual Lands, and our fields are Spirit Fields. Not even a Red-blooded Bull can plow them, so what use could you possibly be?”

The disciple sneered. His eyes darted about with a crafty glint. ”Of course, we’re not made of stone. How about this? If you can catch him, we’ll let him go!”

The moment he finished speaking,

he tossed Xiaobao high into the air.

”Xiaobao...!”

The middle-aged man scrambled forward, trying to catch Xiaobao.

But just as he was about to reach him, a Profound Blood Warhorse charged past. Another disciple snatched Xiaobao from the air and tossed him high again.

”Hahaha, go on, catch him!”

”Better be careful! If he hits the ground, it has nothing to do with us!”

”Hahaha...”

The Jiuhua Celestial Sect disciples tossed Xiaobao back and forth like a beanbag.

Terrified, Xiaobao was now wailing uncontrollably.

The middle-aged man fell to the ground again and again. Covered in his own blood, his eyes filled with despair and pleading. ”I beg you, my lords, please stop throwing him... Xiaobao is so young, he can’t take this! My lords, whatever anger you have, take it out on me! Please, I’m begging you...”

”Hmph, take it out on you? Are you implying we’re just bullying the weak, venting our frustrations on you? Fine! I’ll show you what venting real anger looks like!”

The Heavenly Destiny Realm Ninth Stage disciple snorted coldly.

He grabbed Xiaobao by the neck, raised his arm high, and, ignoring the boy’s frantic struggles, violently hurled him toward the ground.

WHOOSH...

Xiaobao’s entire body plummeted toward the pavement.

If he hit the ground from this height, Xiaobao would be reduced to a bloody pulp!

”No...!”

The middle-aged man screamed and lunged toward Xiaobao.

But there was no way he could make it in time!

”You deserved to die for daring to block our path!”

Vicious, triumphant smirks spread across the faces of the Jiuhua Celestial Sect disciples.

However...

Just as Xiaobao was about to hit the ground, a True Essence Flying Disc suddenly shot out and caught him securely.

A calm but furious voice drifted from the crowd. ”A mighty Heavenly Destiny Realm expert, yet you attack two unarmed, ordinary people. So this is a genius disciple of the Jiuhua Celestial Sect? What a disappointment!”