The amount of power that Jian Chen held in his hand rippled across the entire mountainous area as if it were a heavy weight. With speed as fast as lightning but no thunder to accompany it, the area beneath the strike started to look even more cramped than before. Then, it seemed as if the entire area had frozen in time.
The four Hemophilic Apes had only gotten within fifty meters of Jian Chen before they were frozen in place. They had only been thirty meters in the air, but even their gigantic bodies were rooted firmly in place.
Boom!
Following their inability to move, a fierce amount of energy ruthlessly smashed into the bodies of the four apes, causing the Class 6 Magical Beasts to crash back down to the ground as fast as they came up. As they fell, blood was pouring from not only their mouths, but also their eyes, ears, noses, and even pores.
Smashing against the ground with a terrible rumbling sound, the four Hemophilic Apes landed so roughly that the entire area shook several times as fissures started to form. Even the mountain ridge started to collapse.
A ten meter deep hole now spanned a perimeter of several hundred meters. In the center, four separate craters could be seen from where the four Hemophilic Apes had landed. Yet, there was no movement from within the crater. Whether they were still alive or not was a complete mystery.
The men from the Jiede clan felt their jaws drop at the unbelievable sight in front of them. As if a storm was being waged in their minds, they were deeply affected by the sight. Jian Chen’s strength was something that left them all speechless.
It had only taken a single palm to defeat four Class 6 Magical Beasts to such a degree. Was this really the strength of a Heaven Saint Master?
Against these four Hemophilic Apes, even a Sixth Cycle Heaven Saint Master would be unable to defeat them soundly without a Heaven Tier Battle Skill. This was the difference in natural strength between humanity and magical beast. However, Jian Chen only needed a single palm strike to defeat them — what kind of power was that?
Slowly taking back his hand, Jian Chen stared at the four Hemophilic Apes.
These four Class 6 Magical Beasts are quite strong since they survived even after receiving this palm strike of mine. They’re stronger than the Heaven Saint Masters of the Heiyun clan at the very least.
A-ar-are you… are you really Jian Chen?
After a long while, one of the elders finally inquired with a stare of disbelief. He didn’t dare believe that the youth that had become the King of Mercenaries was so unbelievably strong. Each and every participant of the Gathering of the Mercenaries was under the age of fifty, so a youth with that much strength was simply far too much.
Isn’t… isn’t this the strength of a Saint Ruler?
A woman despondently asked.
There’s no possible way Jian Chen should have a strength like that. Who are you?
Another man skeptically inquired. They had never seen Jian Chen before and were thus not sure of what he looked like.
Giving a cold smile, Jian Chen was about to open his mouth to say something when something out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention, causing him to look there.
The space in the direction he was looking at was starting to distort to reveal a white-robed elder with long hair and a scholarly aura. This was the patriarch of the Jiede clan and the sole remaining Saint Ruler.
We pay our respects to the patriarch!
The ten Heaven Saint Masters immediately bowed out of respect to him.
The patriarch ignored the bowing members of his clan in favor of observing Jian Chen. When he recognized his face, the patriarch immediately froze in disbelief. The person that he wanted to capture at all costs had actually taken the initiative to come to him! This revelation was startling to say the least.
The expression on the patriarch’s face hardened as he said,
Jian Chen, it really is you!
Correct, it is I. Today, I’ve come to pay a visit to your clan.
Jian Chen smiled as he cupped his hands in mock salute. He exuded the air of a regal prince, and if anyone else were to look at the two, they would have assumed that Jian Chen was a good friend of the patriarch.
Letting out a cold snort, the patriarch ignored Jian Chen’s actions. He swept his eyes down to the four deep craters and then back to Jian Chen with a solemn expression.
Jian Chen, did you do this?
What other person is there here but me?
Jian Chen smiled.
Impossible!
The patriarch barked with narrowed eyes. Glaring at him, the patriarch said,
Jian Chen, it has only been a few months at most since we last met. How did you become so strong so quickly? Did you make the breakthrough from a Heaven Saint Master to a Saint Ruler?
In his final few words, the patriarch grew more and more emotional; by the end, he was no longer as calm as before.
In this world of extraordinary things, there is no such thing as an impossibility, but there is something I can tell you at the very least. I am still a Heaven Saint Master.
Jian Chen replied. He was indeed the same rank as before, but he had gained the fighting prowess of a Saint Ruler when he had attained the Minor Achievement of the Chaotic Body. He had not yet comprehended the profound mysteries of the world, and thus, could not be considered a Saint Ruler.
The patriarch let loose a sigh of relief at those words. The sudden thought from before had been causing his heart to skip a beat in fright.
A youth not even fifty years old becoming a Saint Ruler was far too terrifying of a thought to exist in this world.
A cold smile couldn’t help but appear on Jian Chen’s face when he saw the expression of the patriarch.
Don’t you wish to take back the Ruler Armament of your clan? Since I’m here, why don’t you try and get it back?
Instantly, the patriarch regained his calm demeanor in order to make a quick observation to see if there were any hidden experts around. He very much doubted the fact that Jian Chen would travel here alone — such an action was akin to delivering oneself to death in a sense. But, even after a series of scans, the patriarch came up with nothing. There was nobody hidden nearby.
With the sudden calm on the patriarch’s face, Jian Chen let loose a snicker to himself.
If you’re not going to make a move, allow me to make the first move. Take my palm then.
Another burst of Chaotic Force appeared in Jian Chen’s palm before he flew forward to slap the patriarch. A tremendous amount of energy appeared, distorting and applying pressure to the space around them. The patriarch immediately felt his body be locked in place.
Having received this prison of energy around him, the patriarch immediately felt shock register on his face. He had not thought that Jian Chen would become so strong in such a short amount of time.
Despite his shock, the patriarch was not slow to respond. With a loud shout, his own energy come bursting from his body, shattering the frigid space around him. The space regained its natural state as the energies clashed and equalized.
The patriarch’s figure flickered, and he looked as if he was blending with the world itself. With this ability to control space itself, he was able to instantaneously travel a hundred meters to where Jian Chen was.
Jian Chen let loose his slap. The burst of Chaotic Force that accompanied the slap continued forward with reckless abandon before finally smashing into the side of a mountain.
Boom!
A fierce explosion rang through the air as the mountain was reduced to fragments that flew off in every direction. The mountain itself had been reduced to absolutely nothing.
Impossible! You’ve… you’ve become a Saint Ruler!
The patriarch cried out involuntarily — this blow had caused his heart to stop beating for a brief moment. The power that had been contained in Jian Chen’s hand was something only a Saint Ruler would be capable of.
The ten Heaven Saint Masters of the Jiede clan were startled as well. Many of them started to pale. A Saint Ruler at such a youthful age was far too shocking.
Retreat!
One of the elders cried out before every single one of them scattered into every direction possible. A battle between Saint Rulers was not something any Heaven Saint Master could get involved with. If they drew close, they would only be caught in the crossfire.
Jian Chen didn’t speak a word and instead sent another Chaotic Force infused palm strike toward the patriarch.
Sensing the tremendous power coming at him, the patriarch did not choose to dodge. Instead, he boomed out,
Jian Chen, you may have stepped into the realm of a Saint Ruler, but you are only at the first layer and nothing more! I’ll show you just how big of a difference there is from the First Heavenly Layer and the Fourth Heavenly Layer!
An endless amount of energy began to seep from the patriarch’s body, causing the space around him to quiver. With a brandish of his hand, he sent energy flying toward Jian Chen’s strike. As the attack traveled through the air, the space around it started to warp and twist in on itself.
Boom!
The two bundles of energy collided in mid-air against each other, causing yet another explosion. The sound of the explosion was ear-piercing, and even the highest point of the heavens would be able to hear the crackling sound from it. For a brief moment, everyone nearby lost their ability to hear. The remaining dregs of energy that sloughed off from the blast spiraled into the surrounding area, and a decent few kilometers of forest below had been obliterated.
A translucent barrier appeared during the blast to protect the manor of the Jiede clan. The barrier shivered for a brief moment when the turbulent energy struck it, but it managed to resist the blow with some difficulty.
