Chapter 363: Chapter 361: You Are Such a Disappointment
"What?"
"Is this kid insane? He’s actually thinking of challenging the giants?"
"The weakest of those five is at the Early Stage of the Eighth Stage of the Union Palace Realm, and Jiang Chen dares to challenge them? He’s simply courting death!"
Throughout the Celestial Martial Hall, the hundreds of thousands of powerhouses were all stunned.
Even powerhouses like Yuwen Zheng, who had previously helped Jiang Chen, now wore displeased expressions.
Their own cultivation was also at the level of these giants.
Jiang Chen’s attempt to challenge the giants made them all feel he was far too arrogant!
"This kid... he’s gotten too full of himself," Xue Junlin said, shaking his head and sighing.
Ye Gucheng snorted, his face thick with disapproval. "He has no idea how powerful the giants are. In the entire Cloud Domain, there has never been a prodigy who could challenge a giant right after entering the Union Palace Realm."
"He’s digging his own grave!" Ouyang Shang’s expression was grim.
Yuwen Zheng gave a bitter smile, a flash of disappointment crossing his wise eyes. "He’s too young, after all. His string of easy victories has made him lose his way, and he’s lost his reverence for the strong. Well, so be it. Let him suffer a bit. We’ll just have to keep an eye out and make sure those five old geezers don’t actually kill him!"
"Right!"
The others all nodded.
They, too, agreed with Yuwen Zheng’s assessment.
They all believed Jiang Chen’s actions were the result of his ego getting the better of him, of losing himself to overconfidence.
Failure was needed to temper his character!
If Jiang Chen knew what they were thinking, he would surely scoff. How could a sparrow understand the ambitions of a swan?
He looked at Tu Shanhe and the other four without a trace of fear. The Spirit-Slaying Sword in his hand trembled slightly, pulsing with a sharp glint. He spoke with a hint of impatience, "You five old dogs, haven’t you decided who’s coming up to die first?"
"Hmph, you arrogant junior! Allow me to teach you a lesson!" The Purple Star Beast Emperor had the most fiery temper and was the first to step forward. A purple light, as dense as a field of stars, pulsed around him as he took a step.
Mu Feiyang, Tu Shanhe, and the others exchanged a glance but did not stop him.
In their view...
No matter which of the five of them made a move, the outcome would be the same—Jiang Chen would be effortlessly crushed!
"Oh? So it’s you, the stable boy, who can’t wait to come and meet your end!" Jiang Chen’s eyes narrowed, his cold gaze falling upon the Purple Star Beast Emperor.
"Stable boy?"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor’s face stiffened.
He was the mighty Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, a giant at the Early Stage of the Eighth Stage of the Union Palace Realm. Everywhere he went, he was revered and fawned over.
And today, he was being called a stable boy?
This was an unprecedented humiliation!
The Purple Star Beast Emperor snorted, two streams of hot air blasting from his nostrils, kicking up a gale before him that swirled up dust and sand. His piercing, murderous gaze landed on Jiang Chen. "Junior, you are far too arrogant. Today, I will teach you that the weak should revere the strong. Otherwise, your fate will be the same as this bothersome rock!"
As he spoke, the Purple Star Beast Emperor stomped his foot.
A hard rock next to him instantly exploded with a BANG, turning into a cloud of dust.
The dust had barely settled.
When the Purple Star Beast Emperor thrust out a palm. Surging True Essence pulsed between his five fingers, like five fireworks blooming at once.
Brilliant rays of True Essence Light transformed into five ferocious, starving tigers.
A Celestial-Tier Middle-Level Martial Skill—Five Tigers Heaven-tearing!
The five ferocious tigers were enormous, their bodies held high. Their sharp claws were like swords, gleaming with a brilliant and cold light. Baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, they pounced toward Jiang Chen.
"Celestial Flame Sky-breaking Slash!"
Jiang Chen gave a cold smile and slashed with his sword.
SWISH...
The sword strike was like nothingness itself!
One only saw Jiang Chen give his longsword a slight swing, yet there was no trace of a sword shadow or any brilliant Sword Qi.
But in the instant after Jiang Chen struck, the five ferocious tigers shuddered and then exploded with a BOOM.
Starting from their heads, they were cleaved in two.
Such a powerful move couldn’t even block a single one of Jiang Chen’s strikes!
"How is that possible?"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor’s expression changed drastically, his pupils constricting.
Jiang Chen stood with his sword in hand and said dismissively, "Is this the power of a giant? How disappointing!"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor’s face alternated between pale and livid. Jiang Chen’s dismissive tone and mocking gaze made him feel utterly humiliated. His sharp eyebrows shot up as he said sinisterly, "That was merely thirty percent of my power. The fact that you could break it means you are qualified for me to get serious. Next is a strike with seventy percent of my power. Jiang Chen, you will surely be defeated!"
"Seventy percent? I hope you won’t disappoint me again, Lord Giant!" Jiang Chen said with a teasing expression.
"Damn you!"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor was seething with uncontrollable rage.
His majestic face flushed crimson. His anger condensed into two balls of fire that seemed to burn in his eyes. He brought his hands together in front of him, then slowly pulled them apart.
WHOOSH...
As he pulled his hands apart, violent fluctuations of True Essence gathered and pulsed in his palms.
Dazzling rosy light and sharp blades of wind instantly filled the Celestial Vault!
"Hm?"
Tu Shanhe’s expression shifted slightly as he muttered to himself, "The Purple Star Beast Emperor is about to get serious."
"I thought the Purple Star Beast Emperor would be able to crush that kid easily. I never expected he’d be forced to use this move. Is Jiang Chen’s strength really that great?" Ghost Mother Lishan narrowed her eyes. On her deathly white, skeletal hands, her ten bony fingers intertwined, creating a clanging sound.
Yuwen Zheng’s pupils shrank, his eyes flashing with gravity. He looked at Xue Junlin and the others. "Everyone, pay attention. Be ready to intervene and save Jiang Chen at any moment!"
"Right!"
Everyone nodded.
「At the same time...」
The Purple Star Beast Emperor’s hands were now fully open. Before his chest coiled a ferocious golden python.
The python was not large, but its entire body glittered with golden light, and a single, spiraling horn grew from the top of its head.
A Tier Four Advanced Demon Beast, the Golden Dragon Python!
An Ancient Wild Demonic Beast possessing a dragon bloodline. In adulthood, it could rival a cultivator at the Great Success of the Union Palace realm!
"Destructive Dragon Flame!"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor roared.
The Golden Dragon Python coiling before him was connected to him telepathically. It also let out a roar, and as it opened its cavernous mouth, two rows of saw-like fangs could be seen clearly.
The entire Golden Dragon Python twisted its body and suddenly sprang forward.
Like a spring, it shot out.
SWOOSH...
The Golden Dragon Python straightened its body and charged at Jiang Chen. At the same time, streams of purple True Essence erupted from the Purple Star Beast Emperor’s hands.
This purple True Essence completely merged with the Golden Dragon Python’s body.
BOOM!
When the purple True Essence touched the Golden Dragon Python, the golden Scale Armor on the Dragon Python flared with brilliant light. Tufts of purplish-gold flames rose up and, like a spark starting a prairie fire, erupted into a sea of fire. The purplish-gold flames wreathed the Golden Dragon Python, making it look like an Azure Dragon of destructive flame, intent on burning Jiang Chen to ashes!
"Celestial Flame Sun-Devouring Slash!"
Jiang Chen slashed out mid-air. A one-hundred-zhang-long Sword Aura, wreathed in golden flames, hacked toward the flame-shrouded Golden Dragon Python.
"Idiot!"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor sneered, "The Golden Dragon Python has a dragon’s bloodline and can devour all kinds of flames. For you to attack it with a move containing the Secrets of the Fire Sword Dao is just feeding it more power!"
And it was just as he said.
The Golden Dragon Python opened its great maw and swallowed the golden, flaming Sword Aura in one gulp.
It chewed for a moment.
The purplish-gold flames around its body surged even more violently. On Martial Saint Mountain, countless experts scrambled back in a frenzy. Even a Peak of Heavenly Destiny Realm Powerhouse couldn’t withstand this blazing firestorm.
SCREECH!
The Golden Dragon Python, wreathed in purplish-gold flames, shot forward with a SWISH and wrapped itself around Jiang Chen’s body.
Like a burning chain, it bound Jiang Chen tightly and squeezed, its surging flames searing him.
His battle armor melted, and his flesh was scorched red!
It looked as if he was about to be refined by the heat!
The Purple Star Beast Emperor’s face was flush with excitement. "Now you’ll die for sure!"
"Sigh."
Faced with the Purple Star Beast Emperor’s confidence and excitement, Jiang Chen let out a weary breath. A look of disappointment crossed his face as he looked at the Emperor and shook his head. "Purple Star Beast Emperor, is this what you call seventy percent of your power? It’s truly disappointing. You’d better use your full strength!"
"Hm?"
The Purple Star Beast Emperor froze for a moment, then his expression changed drastically.
He saw a brilliant golden light suddenly erupt from Jiang Chen, who should have been immobilized by the Golden Dragon Python’s coils.
His muscles instantly swelled as if inflated, and blue veins bulged all over his body like coiling dragons. A thunderous roar escaped his lips: "Break for me!"
BOOM!
Jiang Chen’s body shook violently, unleashing a terrifying power with the might to tear the heavens and split the earth.
With another deafening BOOM, he instantly forced his arms apart.
"Divine Wind Celestial Fury!"
A wisp of azure Sword Qi shot toward the sky, followed by a second, then a third...
Endless streams of azure Sword Qi burst from within Jiang Chen’s body, coalescing around him into an azure Sword Qi Storm.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH...
The Sword Qi Storm relentlessly battered the Golden Dragon Python.
The Golden Dragon Python that was coiled tightly around him suddenly let out a wretched cry. Under the assault of countless strands of azure Sword Qi, a fountain of blood erupted. Its golden Scale Armor shattered, and its body was sliced into two pieces, then three, then four...
SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!
Even a beast as powerful as the Golden Dragon Python was shredded into chunks of mangled flesh by the deluge of Jiang Chen’s terrifying Sword Qi.
"H-How is this possible? It can’t be! The Golden Dragon Python’s body is as tough as a Celestial Tier Low-level Profound Weapon! How could it be hacked to pieces like this..." The Purple Star Beast Emperor’s face went pale. He stumbled backward, his expression one of utter disbelief.
But Jiang Chen simply walked forward through the bloody mist.
Droplets of fresh blood dripped from the Spirit-Slaying Sword held at his side. Jiang Chen’s expression was indifferent as he looked at the Purple Star Beast Emperor and shook his head slightly. "Is this a giant’s seventy percent power? Purple Star Beast Emperor, you truly are a disappointment!"