Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Lin Fan was in a terrible mood.

He was a scion of one of the great clans of the Flying Snow Dynasty. With his immense talent for cultivation, he had reached the Union Palace Realm Seventh Stage at the mere age of twenty-three.

On the Human Venerable List for the entire Eastern Continent, he was ranked 7,351st.

He was considered a cut above even the Fire Phoenix, Zhao Hongluan.

Everyone in the Flying Snow Dynasty knew that he, Lin Fan, had been pursuing Zhao Hongluan.

Even the Princes of the Royal Family dared not compete with him for her.

But now...

The sight of this man acting so intimately with Zhao Hongluan, the two of them nearly touching, was enough to make Lin Fan explode with rage.

His fierce eyes flickered with cold killing intent as streams of True Essence swirled around him like an angry lion. He snorted coldly and said, ”To think you could block my arrow. No wonder you’re so arrogant. Boy, you probably have no idea who I am, do you?”

Jiang Chen glanced at him and said flatly, ”I have no interest in knowing who you are.”

’As expected...’

Lin Fan’s expression showed he had expected as much. A deep, mocking sneer touched his lips as he said coolly, ”Boy, you’d better listen closely. My name is Lin Fan, a disciple of the Lin Family—one of the Four Great Clans of the Flying Snow Dynasty. I am also a chosen one, ranked 7,351st on the Eastern Continent’s Human Venerable List. Now, you should know what to do, shouldn’t you?”

As Lin Fan mentioned his rank of 7,351st on the Human Venerable List, his expression filled with pride and arrogance.

For all the geniuses of the Eastern Continent, getting on one of the three Venerable Lists was a lifelong goal and a great honor.

After announcing his identity, Lin Fan tilted his chin up slightly, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, waiting for Jiang Chen’s gasps of shock and admiration. He was already fantasizing about Jiang Chen, terrified by his reputation, getting on his knees and begging for mercy.

However...

Faced with Lin Fan’s prideful words, Jiang Chen simply responded with a flat, ”Oh.”

Lin Fan: ”...”

Zhao Hongluan: ”...”

’What the hell!’

’Do you have any idea what that rank even means?’

’A rank in the seven thousands on the Human Venerable List! In the entire Flying Snow Dynasty, that puts someone among the absolute top tier of chosen ones. Even across the whole Eastern Continent, he’s a peerless genius who’s made a name for himself!’

’You could at least gasp in shock! Or even show some admiration!’

’But you just give me a damn ”Oh”? What’s that supposed to mean?’

Lin Fan’s expression became exceedingly ugly.

Even Zhao Hongluan’s elegant brows furrowed, her expression showing a trace of displeasure and disdain.

Although she also disliked the clingy Lin Fan, she truly respected his talent. But Jiang Chen’s reaction clearly lacked the reverence due to a powerful expert.

In Zhao Hongluan’s mind, Jiang Chen had already been branded as arrogant, conceited, and condescending.

Of course...

Even if Jiang Chen had known what Zhao Hongluan was thinking, he wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Jiang Chen’s calm gaze swept over Lin Fan as he said indifferently, ”I’ll repeat myself. Kneel and apologize to me, or I’ll personally step in and beat you to your knees. Your choice.”

”...” The corner of Lin Fan’s eye twitched. He was so angry he was momentarily speechless.

Zhao Hongluan’s pretty face turned cold. ”Jiang Chen, don’t go too far. Don’t think you can be so condescending just because you defeated Jii Zhongtong. That Jii Zhongtong is ranked beyond 90,000 on the Human Venerable List. Lin Fan is ranked in the seven thousands and has a cultivation at the Union Palace Realm Seventh Stage. How dare you act like this?”

The Human Venerable List only included Union Palace Realm geniuses under the age of fifty.

For Lin Fan to reach a rank in the seven thousands on the Human Venerable List at the age of twenty-three was a clear testament to his strength.

Even Zhao Hongluan would have no chance of winning against him.

If Jiang Chen was so dismissive of Lin Fan, didn’t that mean he looked down on her, Zhao Hongluan, as well?

How could this not enrage her?

”Shut your mouth!”

Jiang Chen glared at Zhao Hongluan and said coldly, ”If it weren’t for you, would this guy have shown up and tried to kill me? I’m only holding back because you’re my current employer. Keep whining, and believe me, I’ll beat you up too!”

”What?”

Zhao Hongluan and Lin Fan were both stunned, their faces filled with shock.

A wave of fury washed over Zhao Hongluan’s pretty face. She roared, ”Jiang Chen, you’re too arrogant! The Cloud Sea Business Alliance has no place for someone like you...”

She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Before she could, a fair hand shot out as fast as a thunderclap, clamping down on her pale neck. With a firm grip, Jiang Chen yanked her toward him.

”Ah?”

Zhao Hongluan didn’t react in time. Her body lunged forward, and she fell into Jiang Chen’s arms.

Jiang Chen smoothly turned her body over, forcing her to lie prone across his lap. He raised his palm high, and then—SMACK! A crisp sound rang out as his hand landed squarely on Zhao Hongluan’s plump bottom.

”...”

Zhao Hongluan froze.

Lin Fan was dumbfounded.

The entire private room fell silent for a moment before a sharp, piercing, thunderous roar erupted: ”AHHH... Jiang Chen, you dare hit me? You’re dead! If I don’t destroy you, I’ll write my name, Zhao Hongluan, backward!”

”Noisy!”

Jiang Chen brought his palm down again without a shred of mercy.

Zhao Hongluan’s bottom was probably already covered in several red palm prints. She trembled with rage, letting out sharp screams and furious roars, ”Jiang Chen, I will definitely destroy you...”

”Destroy you? Zhao Hongluan, get one thing straight. You were the one who provoked me first. Today, I’m going to teach you that some things should never be done—especially provoking a man. The consequences are more than you can bear!” Jiang Chen snorted coldly.

This was just his nature.

As long as you didn’t provoke him, everything was fine.

But if you did provoke him, he didn’t care if you were a relative of the Emperor, a Princess, or the Crown Prince.

He would beat them all until they submitted!

SMACK!

SMACK! SMACK!

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK...

A series of crisp smacks echoed endlessly, like the beating of a war drum.

Zhao Hongluan’s face was beet red. The pain from her bottom made her burn with shame and indignation, yet deep down, she felt a strange sense of pleasure. This nearly made her faint from humiliation. ’My butt is being spanked, and I’m actually feeling pleasure from it?’

SMACK!

Jiang Chen had lost count of how many times he had spanked her. It was only when Zhao Hongluan stopped daring to move that he finally said leisurely, ”Have you had enough now?”

”I... I’ve had enough. I’ll never do it again!” Zhao Hongluan said through gritted teeth, her face flushed red.

Jiang Chen nodded. ”Good that you’ve learned your lesson. From now on, remember that there are some people you must never provoke.”

”I... I’ll remember!” Zhao Hongluan said, her eyes red.

Jiang Chen grunted in acknowledgment, then looked at Lin Fan and beckoned with his finger. ”Your turn.”

”Huh?”

Lin Fan, who had been standing as if petrified, finally snapped back to his senses.

He stared at Jiang Chen and Zhao Hongluan in disbelief. After gulping hard, he fully came to his senses. His features twisted, becoming exceptionally savage and venomous. His gaze, like that of a man-eating beast, locked onto Jiang Chen. ”You bastard! You dare hit Hong Luan... there? I’ll take your life!”

VMMMM!

The large bow in Lin Fan’s hands was suddenly drawn taut. Nine blue arrows were already nocked on the bowstring.

Ready to be unleashed!

Jiang Chen’s eyes narrowed. He simply lifted Zhao Hongluan and used her as a shield.

Zhao Hongluan was completely baffled: ”...”

Lin Fan, his face a mask of shock and disbelief, pointed at Jiang Chen. ”You... you... how can you use Hong Luan as a human shield?”

”Why can’t I?” Jiang Chen said flatly.

Lin Fan roared, ”Do you have no heart for a fair lady?”

”A fair lady my ass! In my eyes, she’s just a ’pink skeleton.’ What the hell does she have to do with fragrance or jade?”

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and said with a casual expression, ”Lin Fan, you have two choices now. Attack me, and Zhao Hongluan will very likely die by your arrows. Or, kneel and apologize to me.”

The moment Lin Fan had acted earlier, he had intended to kill him.

Jiang Chen had no sympathy for such an enemy.

If he weren’t trying to stay with the Cloud Sea Business Alliance, the mere fact that Lin Fan had tried to kill him would have been enough for Jiang Chen to put him on his kill list.

Lin Fan’s face alternated between green and white. He looked at Zhao Hongluan, who was furious yet helpless, and a sinister, venomous glint flashed in his eyes. He gritted his teeth. ”Jiang Chen, don’t push me too far...”

”Pushing you too far? I never provoked either of you from the beginning. But the moment you appeared, you tried to kill me, and now you’re telling me I’m pushing you too far?” Jiang Chen sneered.

”I...”

Lin Fan opened his mouth but was at a loss for words.

He did indeed adore Zhao Hongluan, but to make him cast aside his dignity and kneel to apologize to Jiang Chen?

That was absolutely impossible!

A venomous and resolute look flashed in Lin Fan’s eyes. He gave a savage smile. ”Jiang Chen, wanting this young master to kneel and apologize to you is nothing but a pipe dream.” He looked at Zhao Hongluan. ”I’m sorry, Hong Luan, but the honor of the Lin Family cannot be disgraced!”

Before his voice had even faded,

The bowstring in Lin Fan’s hand twanged as the nine blue arrows shot straight toward Zhao Hongluan.

Zhao Hongluan bit her red lip with her pearly teeth.

Her gaze toward Lin Fan grew increasingly cold and distant.

At this moment, she finally saw Lin Fan for who he truly was.

She closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.

However...

The pain of being riddled with arrows that she had imagined never came. Instead, a series of crisp DING DING DING sounds rang out by her ear. It was followed by Jiang Chen’s voice: ”Zhao Hongluan, I gave you a beating, but I also helped you see this hypocrite’s true colors. We’re even now, how about it?”