NOVEL NEXT Chapter 435: Let Them Fight First
Normally, a Peak-stage Nirvana Peering realm cultivator could stretch their divine sense a little past thirty million kilometers.
What Bian Zhilin didn't realize was that Jiang Chen had already stepped into the Nirvana Cleansing realm. With all his enhancements stacked together, his divine sense now reached an incredible one hundred forty million kilometers.
From the moment both five-man squads appeared to the way they linked up and talked things over, Jiang Chen caught every single detail as if he were standing right there.
Ten Nirvana Peering realm cultivators… what a banquet, Jiang Chen thought with a spark of excitement. But if I crush them all, Lu Yi might come asking to borrow more money. I've already refused twice—turning him down again will just make him suspicious and chip away at his trust.
He's still sitting on nearly a hundred thousand Heavenly Fate Value. There's a long road ahead before I bring him down, so I need to keep stringing him along. The question is—how do I get rid of Bian Zhilin and his crew without handing Lu Yi any benefits? His eyes narrowed, mind already working through the possibilities.
As if reading his mind, Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning spoke into Jiang Chen's head at the same time. "We have a way."
"Oh? Let's hear it." Jiang Chen's smile widened.
"Since breaking back into the Nirvana Peering realm, we can leave the Void Tribulation Soulring," Nangong Wan said. "But our souls are still damaged—full of cracks and flaws."
"If we step out, our soul power will keep draining," Shangguan Ning added. "That's why we've kept it quiet. But if we want to take these enemies down and make sure Lu Yi doesn't get a single benefit—not even the chance to borrow spirit jade—we need to act."
"As far as Lu Yi knows, we've never even shown ourselves. To him, we're total strangers."
Jiang Chen caught on instantly. His grin turned sharp, full of approval.
...
Bian Zhilin's group wasted no time. They split up, moving in from different directions to close the net around Jiang Chen and Lu Yi.
With his much shorter divine sense range, Lu Yi had no idea danger was creeping in.
Jiang Chen pretended not to notice, letting them draw closer.
Moments later, Bian Zhilin's squad flashed into view thirty million kilometers away. From the opposite side, another five cultivators appeared.
"Someone's coming!" Jiang Chen stopped and swept his hand through the air. "Ying Luo!"
A thunderous dragon's roar split the sky. Ying Luo burst out in her true form, an enormous divine dragon. Lowering her head, she let Jiang Chen step onto it, then shot tens of thousands of feet into the air.
What the—? More enemies? Lu Yi's face tightened. For him to react like this, they must be even stronger than the last ones. Without wasting a second, he flew up after them.
Lu Yi didn't realize Jiang Chen had already slipped away, leaving nothing but an illusion of himself standing on Ying Luo's head. It was the work of his newly mastered Azure Hollow Illusion Divine Chart.
Still stuck in the Transcendence realm with only the barest grasp of the Great Dao, Lu Yi might be able to hit as hard as someone in the Nirvana Peering realm, but he had no way of seeing through such a refined illusion.
That was when he spotted them—Bian Zhilin and nine other Nirvana Peering realm experts. Ten of them… and six are Late-stage or Peak-stage. This is no joke. Jiang Chen probably can't take them all down in one strike. Those guys in Burning Sun City were already worn out, and the ones in Thunderclap City weren't exactly top-tier.
Looks like this one's going to be tough. But if I can just take one of them out, I'll make a name for myself here. A spark of excitement lit in his eyes. He was convinced the fight would drag on, giving him a perfect opening to break the deadlock.
All he needed was that one kill—strip their treasures, boost his system, and start a chain of wins.
The idea sent a rush of anticipation through him.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, Jiang Chen worked with Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning to briefly separate the linked souls between them.
Void Tribulation Soulring—separate!
In an instant, the support that boosted his soul strength disappeared, cutting down both the range and clarity of his divine sense.
It hardly mattered. Against Nirvana Peering realm opponents, his combat strength was unaffected.
Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning slipped out of the Void Tribulation Soulring, their soul forms darting into the air and instinctively masking their presence.
They had once stood at the Void Tribulation realm, and now that their souls were back at the Nirvana Peering stage, their ability to hide themselves was far beyond anything Lu Yi could hope to detect.
Everything was ready.
They waited in silence, poised to strike.
"Kill!"
Bian Zhilin and his group stepped into range and immediately launched their attack on Jiang Chen and Lu Yi.
Ten Nirvana Peering realm experts closed in from every direction, their combined pressure crashing down like the fiercest tsunami in a hundred years—enough to make any Transcendence realm cultivator's heart seize.
"Get ready. They're trying to drag this out—finish it fast." Jiang Chen's words echoed in Lu Yi's mind.
Lu Yi gave a quick nod toward the "Jiang Chen" standing on Ying Luo's head, signaling he understood.
But before the clash began, a furious shout split the air. "Want to kill them and keep it quiet? Keep dreaming!"
An oppressive wave of power swept over the battlefield as three figures appeared.
At their head stood an impossibly handsome man, almost ethereal, the Sword Dao radiating from him so bright it hurt to look at. Around him swirled manifestations of multiple Great Dao powers.
It was Jiang Chen—only this was the illusion he'd crafted with the Azure Hollow Illusion Divine Chart, taking on the form of a disciple from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace.
Jiang Chen had crossed paths with Lang Xingyuan and other disciples of the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace before, so he knew exactly how to copy their robes, bearing, and mannerisms.
Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning were disguised as well.
Shangguan Ning used the Dao of Illusion to take on the look of another Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace disciple, while Nangong Wan—skilled in concealment—made sure no one could tell they were soul bodies at all.
The moment the three appeared, Bian Zhilin and his group stiffened, shock flashing across their faces.
"What! People from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace—here already? How's that possible?!"
"Damn it, the one in front is strong—at least Half-step Nirvana Cleansing!"
"What do we do now?"
Their attacks halted as all ten fixed wary eyes on the three newcomers.
Off to the side, Lu Yi stared in disbelief. No way… even the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace showed up?
His gaze settled on the man leading them. Ridiculously handsome… but if he turns into my enemy, good looks won't stop me from grinding him into paste. He smirked to himself, not realizing it was actually Jiang Chen in disguise.
His eyes shifted toward Ying Luo and the "Jiang Chen" standing on her head—just as Jiang Chen's real voice brushed into his ear.
Don't act yet. Let the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and the Purple Crest Immortal Sect tear each other apart. We'll step in at the end and take everything.