Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

"What?! Impossible!" Bo Lang's eyes bulged in disbelief, the shock nearly consuming his very soul.

At this juncture, Jiang Chen presented such a formidable aura that even at Bo Lang's peak, he couldn't compare.

A rush of panic and the urge to retreat welled up inside Bo Lang.

Yet, a full-force assault like Bo Lang's was not something he could just pull back from. Realizing this predicament, he drew upon every ounce of his strength, directing it at Jiang Chen. He clung to the hope that if he could just weather this strike, he might find a chance to escape.

'Golden Cicada Umbra Shield Skill!' Just as Bo Lang's attack neared, Jiang Chen promptly unleashed the Metal Great Dao's defensive technique.

Suddenly, a golden cicada appeared out of the blue, encompassing Jiang Chen within.

Thud!

In no time, Bo Lang's scythe clashed with the protective golden cicada.

Ting!!

A high-pitched, almost unbearable sound resonated.

The golden cicada around Jiang Chen broke apart, dispersing into numerous golden fragments that lit up the sky.

A sliver of hope ignited in Bo Lang's eyes as he wielded his scythe once more.

But immediately, his face contorted in sheer horror, for he didn't feel the sensation of his weapon meeting its mark.

Instead, a coldness, akin to the abyss of hell, crawled up his spine, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

'From the back?!' Bo Lang's eyes bulged in terror, an internal scream reverberating in his mind. He tried to dart forward, aiming to sidestep the looming threat.

Yet, he was a beat too late!

'Death Attraction Nine Tribulations Sword Technique!' Jiang Chen's right hand moved in a swift arc, and a sword with a radiant white body and an incredibly sharp blade materialized out of thin air. It was the Immortal Tool, the Purple Heaven Immortal Martial Sword!

If he intended to ambush the demon race, wouldn't he arm himself with the crown jewel of the Purple Heaven Holy Land?

Indeed, he had earlier entrusted Ji Mingxiu to secure the Purple Heaven Immortal Martial Sword, which he had kept close ever since.

With a desperate tone, Bo Lang exclaimed, "No—! You cannot do this!" Panic painted his eyes, and his voice quaked with fear. "The mighty legion of the demon race is en route. Release me, and I promise the same for you!" Desperation permeated his very being as the all-consuming dread of death's grip tightened around him.

But Jiang Chen paid no heed to his desperate entreaty.

Slash!

With one swift motion, the Purple Heaven Immortal Martial Sword cut through Bo Lang's neck. Blood sprayed like a fountain, and his severed head took to the air.

A tremendous burst of sword Qi followed, reducing Bo Lang's body to ash.

And yet, he remained undying.

'Secret Art - Soulless Body Burial!' As the ashes of Bo Lang's form scattered to the winds, he mustered this final secret art in a bid for survival!

Abandoning his physical shell, his soul swiftly retreated into the Nether Soul Crystal, giving off an impression of total obliteration.

To one unacquainted with the esoteric ways of the Nether Soul Demon Clan, it would certainly seem that Bo Lang had met his doom.

However, his opponent was Jiang Chen, bolstered by the strength of two Void Tribulation realm powerhouses!

"Heh, thought you could deceive me with that trick? Hand it over!" Jiang Chen sneered, quickly grasping the Nether Soul Crystal from a remnant of Bo Lang's body.

"How did this happen?! How could you be aware of the Nether Soul Demon Clan's hidden vulnerability?" Despair consumed Bo Lang.

Even though he had the secret art at his disposal, unlike Long Tianlu, he didn't meet his end immediately. Rather, he could find sanctuary within the Nether Soul Crystal.

However, with Jiang Chen having knowledge of the Nether Soul Crystal, Bo Lang found himself cornered, much like a fish out of water—inescapably doomed.

'No! I can't meet my end like this! I can still possess him!' Clutching at straws in his desperation, Bo Lang, seeing a glint of hope, made a move to possess Jiang Chen.

Boom!

His soul took on the form of a shadow, diving into Jiang Chen's Sea of Consciousness.

Yet, upon making his entry, he was instantly petrified!

Before him, Jiang Chen's soul was securely bound by the souls of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning. Their souls intertwined, creating a complex and mystifying union.

However, what truly halted Bo Lang was the overwhelming aura emanating from them—an aura of unimaginable terror.

In comparison to them, he felt as insignificant as a mayfly before a phoenix; the disparity was simply vast.

Believe in possession? That was pure delusion!

In that brief instant, Jiang Chen obliterated Bo Lang's last vestige of hope.

Frozen in sheer terror and complete despair, Bo Lang ceased all resistance, dropping to his knees before Jiang Chen.

"Die!" With a direct gaze at Bo Lang's soul within his sea of consciousness, Jiang Chen executed a direct soul attack!

Assisted by the souls of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning, what he unleashed wasn't merely the Moon Devouring Thought but an even more potent Transcendence realm soul-type secret art.

Offering no resistance, Bo Lang was immediately obliterated by Jiang Chen's soul attack. He was thrust out of the sea of consciousness and assimilated into the Nether Soul Crystal.

That was the true end of Bo Lang.

"Damn it. He even had a secret art for possession!" Jiang Chen muttered to himself.

Pausing for a moment to recollect his thoughts, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 'Good thing I have the Heaven-Defying Fate Changer Void Tribulation Soul, or I would've faced real danger.' He shook off a brief dizziness and pondered the recent altercation. It dawned on him that taking down Bo Lang's Middle-stage Transcendence realm soul was no small feat.

Still, everything had proceeded without a hitch, and Bo Lang had met his end.

Jiang Chen then procured the Nether Soul Crystal, aligning it with the Void Tribulation Soul pattern on his forehead.

Shortly after, the Nether Soul Crystal was absorbed by Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning.

With the addition of Bo Lang's Nether Soul Crystal, the duo neared their restoration to the Middle-stage Transcendence realm.

'Wordless Heavenly Jade! Death Calamity Dark Star Moon Dao Embryo!' With singular intent, Jiang Chen absorbed both the qi and blood energy of Bo Lang, as well as his cultivation base. Wasting no time, he launched an assault on Jiu Xiaoyin.

Jiu Xiaoyin, meanwhile, was rooted in place, the chilling image of Bo Lang's demise seared into his eyes. Tremors of fear rippled through him, his face the very picture of terror. "How did this happen?" He whispered, disbelief heavy in his voice. "Jiang Chen is but a mere human prodigy. How can he wield such power?"

"This isn't reality... it has to be a nightmare! Run! Run!" The overwhelming fear bellowed within him. Driven by sheer survival instinct, Jiu Xiaoyin spun around, making a desperate dash for the distant horizon.

"You think you can flee?" Yu Hong, in spite of his grievous injuries, made a move to intercept and trap Jiu Xiaoyin.

"Out of my way!" Marshaling all his strength, Jiu Xiaoyin sent Yu Hong hurtling backward.

Slash!

But it was too late. Jiang Chen had rapidly closed the gap. With a swift motion, his Purple Heaven Immortal Martial Sword surged forward, impaling Jiu Xiaoyin.

Sword Qi erupted en masse, and within moments, Jiu Xiaoyin was marred with a multitude of gaping wounds. The Nether Soul Crystal, positioned at the nape of his neck, was cleanly severed and soared into Jiang Chen's grasp.

Without hesitation, Jiang Chen harnessed Jiu Xiaoyin’s qi and blood energy, as well as his cultivation base, and immediately turned his attention to Yu Hong.

He discovered Yu Hong sprawled on the ground, his complexion ashen. The man teetered on the precipice of death.

"Is there any hope for him?" Jiang Chen asked with a note of concern, seeking insight from Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning.

Shangguan Ning exhaled a somber sigh. "It's beyond us now. He's been pushing his limits, holding onto life by sheer force of will. But this confrontation was fated to be his undoing," she responded, a hint of lament in her tone.

As Jiang Chen entered his line of sight, a glimmer of relief shone in Yu Hong's eyes.

"Jiang Chen," he rasped weakly, "... these items... I trust you'll find them useful."

Holding out a bracelet, hope sparkled in his fading eyes. "With you leading the Immortal Martial Continent, victory over the demon race seems inevitable..."

However, as he uttered these words, his body tensed, and his voice cut off abruptly.

Within mere seconds, the vitality in Yu Hong ebbed away.

"Rest now," Jiang Chen whispered, accepting the bracelet from Yu Hong's lifeless grasp. He then shifted his focus to the direction of the Bottomless Abyss.

Bo Lang's parting threat to Jiang Chen had laid bare a crucial revelation: the demon race's vast legion was on the brink of invasion!