Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

A brilliant, cold light erupted in Jiang Chen’s eyes, and a dark golden glow rippled around his body.

Amidst the howling, cold wind, his black hair whipped about, making him look like an invincible War God.

Jii Zhongtong, who had been so full of himself just moments before, was now spitting blood, his face pale as he lay unconscious on the ground.

”Jii Zhongtong was... defeated?”

”With just one punch? Th-that’s unbelievable, isn’t it?”

”Could this guy be an expert on the Human Venerable List too? Otherwise, how could he possibly defeat Jii Zhongtong, who’s ranked 98,635 on the Human Venerable List?”

”We all misjudged him. At first, we thought he was just some overconfident trash, but it turns out he was just being low-key. This is a true master of feigning weakness!”

The powerhouses all exclaimed in amazement.

Now, the crowd’s gazes toward Jiang Chen were no longer filled with ridicule and disdain, but with profound shock and awe.

An expert on the Human Venerable List.

No matter where they went, they were worthy of everyone’s admiration!

”Hahaha, Younger Brother Jiang, you really had me fooled! You actually said you were from the Cloud Domain? That’s got to be a joke! How could a backwater place like the Cloud Domain produce an expert on the Human Venerable List? Fess up, where are you really from? The Cang Realm? The Netherworld? Or the Mountain River Realm?” Wuu Rui saw Jiang Chen defeat Jii Zhongtong and was stunned for a moment, then began to shout excitedly.

He threw an arm around Jiang Chen’s shoulder, rattling off one question after another like popping beans.

Jiang Chen gave a wry smile. ”Brother Wuu, I’m really not lying. I am from the Cloud Domain!”

”Hah, forget it, forget it. If you don’t want to say, then don’t!” Wuu Rui said, waving his hand, clearly not believing that Jiang Chen was really from the Cloud Domain.

After all, the Cloud Domain hadn’t produced an expert on the Human Venerable List for several thousand years!

Jiang Chen shook his head helplessly but didn’t explain further.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

A crisp round of applause came from the middle-aged man who had been sitting on the mahogany chair all along. A brilliant smile was on his face as he said, ”Excellent, excellent! Truly, heroes come from the young. And how should I address you, little brother?”

Before, he had felt that even a single glance at Jiang Chen was a waste of time.

But now, upon seeing Jiang Chen’s strength in defeating a Human Venerable List expert with one punch, his expression changed instantly, becoming eager and earnest.

Jiang Chen said flatly, ”Jiang Chen.”

His tone was somewhat detached.

The middle-aged man just smiled, not taking offense. He chuckled and said, ”So it’s Brother Jiang. I am Lei Tong, the deputy captain of the Cloud Sea Business Alliance’s guard garrison in Icebound City. Welcome, Brother Jiang, to our Cloud Sea Business Alliance escort team! I wonder, do you have any requirements regarding your payment?”

”What was his payment?” Jiang Chen glanced at Jii Zhongtong, who was still on the ground.

Lei Tong was taken aback. ”Young Master Jii’s payment was one hundred million Lower-Grade Spirit Crystals!”

The surrounding crowd showed no surprise.

In Icebound City, this was the standard rate for anyone ranked below 95,000 on the Human Venerable List.

’Jiang Chen couldn’t help but feel the immense disparity. An escort team had at least a hundred people. Jii Zhongtong alone was worth one hundred million Lower-Grade Spirit Crystals. Adding up all the powerhouses, the payment for the guards alone would be a huge expense. He had to admit, compared to these Strong Realms, the Cloud Domain truly was just a backwater place!’

’A poor, remote corner of the world!’

Jiang Chen shook his head slightly, then held up ten fingers. ”I want ten times his pay!”

HISS—

The moment he said it, everyone in the crowd gasped.

Even Lei Tong’s eyes went wide, his expression turning ugly. ”Brother Jiang, isn’t that a bit too much of an increase? The going rate for anyone on the Human Venerable List ranked below 95,000 is that price. You’re asking for one billion Lower-Grade Spirit Crystals right off the bat. That’s the price for someone in the top 50,000.”

Someone ranked in the top 50,000 on the Human Venerable List... a powerhouse of that caliber is as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn in any dynasty!

Even in Icebound City, a place teeming with powerhouses, they were extremely rare!

Jiang Chen gave Lei Tong a cool glance, his expression still calm and confident. ”Since I dare to ask for this price, I naturally have the confidence to back it up. I imagine you can’t make the call on this price yourself. You can ask your superiors in the Business Alliance for instructions!”

”This...”

A trace of hesitation appeared on Lei Tong’s face.

Just then, a sudden commotion broke out in the crowd, and the temperature of the air seemed to rise significantly.

Jiang Chen seemed to sense something and looked up at the Celestial Vault. He saw a ball of red flame speeding toward them. Within the flame, he could faintly make out a giant firebird, wreathed in fire, flying with its wings outstretched.

It was a Vermilion Bird possessing the bloodline of an Ancient Phoenix!

The Exotic Beast Vermilion Bird, wreathed in fire, could consume the essence of heaven and earth and incinerate the spirits of all things in the three realms.

Standing on the Vermilion Bird’s back was a young woman dressed in red leather armor, with red hair that fell to her hips. Her face was cold and aloof, and her fiery red lips stood out against her fair skin, adding to her allure.

Her tight leather armor hugged her voluptuous figure, and her long legs, encased in tight leather pants, looked even more slender and well-proportioned.

She was an enchantress who could bewitch all living things!

SWOOSH!

The young woman leaped down, landing steadily on the ground. The Vermilion Bird transformed into a flash of red light and suddenly shrank, becoming a palm-sized miniature Vermilion Bird that perched on her shoulder, using its small head to preen its wings.

”Th-that’s the Young Miss of the Cloud Sea Business Alliance, the Fire Phoenix, Zhao Hongluan, ranked 8,325 on the Human Venerable List!”

”So beautiful! I’d give up ten years of my life just to have a moment of intimacy with her!”

”Keep your voice down! That Fire Phoenix is a rose with thorns. If she heard you say that, she’d definitely stomp that thing between your legs into paste!”

The powerhouses muttered amongst themselves in low voices.

Lei Tong immediately ran over and bowed respectfully to Zhao Hongluan. ”Young Miss, what brings you here?”

”Uncle Lei, how is the guard recruitment going? We’re set to depart tomorrow...” Zhao Hongluan’s voice was light and quite pleasant to the ear.

Lei Tong quickly said, ”We’ve recruited almost everyone, but something’s just come up...”

”Hm?”

Zhao Hongluan paused.

Lei Tong pointed at Jiang Chen and the unconscious Jii Zhongtong on the ground and began to explain...

At that moment, however, Jiang Chen had no mind to pay attention to Zhao Hongluan and Lei Tong’s conversation. He was desperately holding down the Black Emperor. ”Little Black, calm down, calm down!”

”Let go! Jiang Chen, let go of me! A Vermilion Bird! Such a pure Wind Emperor bloodline! If I can devour this Little Vermilion Bird, this Emperor can regain the strength of a Tier Five Demon Beast and unleash combat power comparable to a Human King Realm Powerhouse!”

Little Black’s eyes were sparkling, and glistening drool was pouring from his mouth. His little paws desperately clawed at the hands Jiang Chen was using to hold him. ”Jiang Chen, let this Emperor go! This Emperor wants to eat it!” he struggled to say. ”Don’t worry, whether this Emperor braises it or steams it, I’ll definitely save a portion for you...”

Jiang Chen was speechless. ”Are you insane?! This is their territory! If you eat that Little Vermilion Bird, we’ll be hunted down by the entire Cloud Sea Business Alliance!”

”Let them hunt us down! This Emperor is telling you, the meat of a Vermilion Bird is incredibly delicious. Braising it is a bit troublesome, you have to use an Array to draw down Celestial Fire to cook it properly. If we steam it, it might be a little easier. Argh, hurry up and let this Emperor go! This Emperor wants to eat the Vermilion Bird...” The Black Emperor struggled with all his might.

He was absolutely ravenous!

’Back in the day, he, the great Black Emperor, the one and only ruler of the Eight Desolates and Six Harmonies, used to eat True Dragons and devour Divine Phoenixes like they were candy.’

’How many tens of thousands of years had it been since he’d last eaten one?’

’Now that he had finally encountered a Vermilion Bird with a Phoenix bloodline, how could he possibly bear to give it up?’

”Little Black, we need the Cloud Sea Business Alliance to get to the Three Great Tribes and find the Profound Celestial Ice Marrow to save Qingyi!” Jiang Chen said in a low voice.

The Black Emperor’s entire body stiffened.

A conflicted look appeared on his small face. He raised a fleshy wing to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth and said through gritted teeth, ”Fine. To save Qingyi, this Emperor will endure it for now.”

Although he said that, his eyes never left the Little Vermilion Bird.

As if sensing the Black Emperor’s gaze, the Little Vermilion Bird glanced at him. As if it had met its natural predator, the Little Vermilion Bird let out a sharp, terrified cry, and flames erupted from its entire body.

It beat its wings and flew into the air, hanging in the sky like a blazing sun.

Zhao Hongluan’s pretty face changed slightly. She shouted at the Vermilion Bird, ”Little Sparrow, get down here!”

The Vermilion Bird hesitated for a moment before landing back on Zhao Hongluan’s shoulder, its small eyes remaining warily fixed on the Black Emperor.

Zhao Hongluan’s fine brows knitted together. A puzzled expression on her face, she sent a telepathic message, ”Little Sparrow, what’s going on?”

”Sister Hong Luan, I don’t know why, but the moment I saw that thing, I felt uneasy all over, like it’s extremely dangerous,” the Vermilion Bird responded.

’Dangerous?’

Zhao Hongluan raised her shapely eyebrows, staring intently at Jiang Chen and the Black Emperor in his arms. ’This Vermilion Bird has Phoenix bloodline; an ordinary Tier Five Demon Beast wouldn’t be able to instill this kind of instinctive fear in it.’

She couldn’t help but spare another glance at the Black Emperor, and her curiosity about Jiang Chen grew. She looked at Lei Tong, who was standing to the side. ”Uncle Lei, it’s only one billion. Let him join our escort team!”

”Yes, Young Miss!” Lei Tong was taken aback but nodded in agreement.

’Little Sparrow is an Exotic Beast with Phoenix bloodline, yet that kid’s Demon Beast actually makes it feel threatened and afraid? And he can defeat Jii Zhongtong from the Human Venerable List. He’s certainly hiding a lot of secrets!’

Zhao Hongluan glanced at Jiang Chen and thought to herself, ’Hmph, I don’t care who you are. As long as you join the escort team, this young miss will have all the time in the world to dig up your secrets! Heh heh...’

But Jiang Chen had no idea...

...that in that single moment, he had caught the attention of the great Young Miss of the Cloud Sea Business Alliance...