Chapter 70: Chapter 68: A True Youth
Granny Liu again. She had tried to harm him time and time again, and now she was blocking his path at this critical moment. Jiang Jichen loathed this damn old woman to his very core, wishing he could just smack her dead with a single palm strike.
However, Granny Liu’s cultivation was extraordinary. She was a veteran expert of the Innate Third Layer, making her incredibly difficult to kill!
Moreover, behind her stood two more senior experts from the Jiang Family. Jiang Jichen recognized them as Jiang Yu, an old steward from the Second Mansion, and Jiang Tian from the Third Elder Mansion. Both appeared to be in their fifties, and their cultivation was at the Initial Stage of the Innate Third Realm.
"Jiang Jichen, you injured our Mansion Master’s son. We are here today to bring you to justice!"
Jiang Tian of the Third Elder Mansion spoke coldly. The Mansion Master’s son he referred to was none other than Jiang Haijian, the only son of the Jiang Family’s Third Elder, Jiang Qingsong—the very same Jiang Haijian who had been defeated by Jiang Jichen at the Qingjiang Cultivation Field.
"And the Second Mansion Master’s second son! You broke both his legs. Today, you must be taken to the Jiang Family’s disciplinary hall for interrogation!"
Jiang Yu of the Jiang Family’s Second Mansion added sinisterly.
Facing these people, a monstrous killing intent surged within Jiang Jichen, but he knew he couldn’t afford to be delayed here. He was in a hurry to save Jiang Ling’Er; there was no time to waste.
He shot a cold glance at Granny Liu. "You damn old hag, you’re like a persistent ghost. If I ever reach the Innate Realm, the first person I’ll kill is you!"
His gaze then swept over Jiang Yu and Jiang Tian, his voice filled with a biting chill. "A disciple of the Jiang Family is in danger, yet instead of helping, you stand here and obstruct me. What’s more, as mere servants of the Jiang Family, you dare to reprimand the Young Mansion Master of the Fifth Mansion? For that, you deserve to be executed on the spot!"
Though Jiang Jichen loathed Granny Liu, he felt an even stronger urge to smash these two old servants to pieces with his fists.
And since the thought had crossed his mind, Jiang Jichen didn’t hesitate for a second. Ignoring Granny Liu, he charged forward at full speed, aiming straight for Jiang Tian and Jiang Yu.
Hearing Jiang Jichen’s words, Granny Liu was already incandescent with rage.
"You little bastard! Do you think I’m invisible? You’re courting death!"
Seeing Jiang Jichen ignore her and charge straight past, Granny Liu’s wizened hands blurred. She condensed her Spirit Power into a seal and struck out at him.
As experts at the Initial Stage of the Innate Third Realm, Jiang Tian and Jiang Yu were enraged by the sheer arrogance of a mere Mortal Realm cultivator threatening to execute them on the spot. Killing intent billowed from them, completely unconcealed.
They no longer saw Jiang Jichen as the Young Mansion Master of the Jiang Family. In their eyes, the Fifth Mansion existed in name only and would be disbanded sooner or later.
Besides, they had received secret orders to capture Jiang Jichen—and if he resisted, they were authorized to kill him on the spot!
Jiang Tian sneered. "Still think you’re the Young Mansion Master of the Fifth Mansion? Hmph. Now, you’re a criminal of the Jiang Mansion. I am acting under orders to apprehend you. If you resist, you will be killed on the spot!"
Jiang Yu’s voice was laced with chilling malice. "In our eyes, you’re nothing but a Mortal Realm ant I could crush with a single flick. However, Young Master Jiang Haijian wants me to spare your worthless life. He wants to torture you himself. He wants you kneeling before him like a dog, begging for mercy. So rest assured, I’ll only cripple your cultivation and break your limbs. That will be enough. I won’t kill you!"
As they spoke, both men condensed Spirit Power into their palms and lashed out at the charging Jiang Jichen.
Three attacks from Innate Third Realm experts, terrifying in their power, sealed off every possible escape route. There was simply nowhere to run.
Granny Liu’s attack was especially fearsome; her Spirit Seals came in waves like a tide, their might simply astonishing!
But instead of retreating, Jiang Jichen pushed forward, his speed increasing even more.
"Void Shadowless!"
Jiang Jichen let out a soft cry. His figure blurred and vanished in an instant, causing the attacks from Granny Liu and the others to hit nothing but air.
Merging with the void, becoming a shadow, crossing a thousand li in a flash!
This was the Second Form of the Shadow Step, a technique that could unleash a burst of shadowless speed, moving almost as fast as light itself.
He had used this very technique to escape Granny Liu’s ambush before, back when he was only at the Seventh-level Mortal Warrior Realm, whisking Luuo Xue away to safety.
Now that he was at the Ninth Level Mortal Perfect Realm, he could use the Void Shadowless Technique with even greater ease. With but a thought, he could vanish without a trace.
When he reappeared, Jiang Jichen was already right in front of Jiang Tian and Jiang Yu. Their faces paled as a terrifying sense of danger gripped their hearts.
"What kind of step technique is that? How did he...?"
Jiang Tian cried out in alarm, and Jiang Yu’s expression changed drastically as well.
Before the words could even leave their mouths, Jiang Jichen’s expressionless face was upon them as he threw a deadly punch.
At close range, the full power of a Ninth Level Perfect Body Refiner exploded forth. Even when facing cultivators at the Initial Stage of the Innate Third Realm, Jiang Jichen showed not a hint of fear.
Moreover, Jiang Jichen was in a hurry. Every move he made was a gamble, trading life for life!
BOOM!
Golden light swirled around his fist, which carried the weight of a mountain as it smashed into Jiang Tian and Jiang Yu’s Second-Layer Spirit Pattern Spaces.
CRACK!
Their two-layered Spirit Pattern Spaces were completely unable to withstand the force of Jiang Jichen’s punch and were shattered without a doubt.
Every punch Jiang Jichen threw was the Seven Stars Gathering Fist, a technique with astonishing killing power. At close range, not even a cultivator at the Initial Stage of the Innate Third Realm could block it.
"You’re courting death! Did you really think an Innate Third Realm expert is made of clay?!"
With their Spirit Pattern Spaces shattered, Jiang Tian and Jiang Yu finally reacted. Roaring in fury, they condensed Spirit Power into seals and launched their own attacks at Jiang Jichen.
But Jiang Jichen was trading life for life. He didn’t dodge at all, simply activating a Defense Secret Technique and taking the blows head-on with his own body.
PTUI!
Jiang Jichen spat blood, but his fist had already reached Jiang Tian’s head.
SPLAT!
Jiang Tian’s head burst apart like a rotten watermelon, spraying blood and brain matter everywhere. In an instant, he was just a headless corpse collapsing to the ground.
Seeing Jiang Tian’s gruesome end, Jiang Yu’s eyes turned bloodshot. "Jiang Jichen, die!" he roared.
He didn’t have time to form a stronger Spirit Cultivation Martial Technique. All he could do was gather every last bit of his Innate Spiritual Power for a final strike against Jiang Jichen!
But Jiang Jichen just gave a cold smile and raised a single finger!
"Cloud Annihilation Finger!"
A single finger to pierce the heavens, scattering the floating clouds to nothingness.
As he pointed his finger, golden light surged, and a bolt of Finger Qi shot out like an arrow. Jiang Yu felt his heart clench, and the Spiritual Qi in his palms instantly dispersed. His entire body suddenly felt as if it had lost all its strength.
"What... what finger technique is this?"
Staring at the bloody hole in his chest, he asked the same question Song Zian once had. But Jiang Jichen didn’t say a word. He just continued his charge, leaving them all in his dust.
Behind him, with his heart shattered, Jiang Yu’s life faded away, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The scene shocked everyone present!
Decisive in killing, fearless in the face of death, iron-willed and ruthless, powerful and dauntless, forging ever forward...
Now this was a truly passionate youth!
That young man was covered in wounds, soaked in blood.
But the more grievous his injuries, the more astonishing his aura became, as if nothing between heaven and earth, in the entire cosmos, could possibly stand in his way.
In that moment, Jiang Jichen had already reached He Feng. This was the final obstacle. If he could get past him, he could fight his way to Jiang Ling’Er’s side.
"Elder, don’t let him get close! Quickly, intercept and kill him from a distance!"
He Feng was truly afraid of Jiang Jichen now, so much so that he was shrieking.
An Innate Second Realm Spirit Cultivator, the lead disciple of the Mountain Sect, was actually this terrified of a boy in the Mortal Realm?
The enemy of all sects was truly a terrifying figure!
